The Senate has voted for the FBI to have access to search civilian web browser histories without a warrant.
In a report by Vice, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed the bill earlier this week as a move to reauthorize the Patriot Act. The authorization gives federal law enforcement to survey web browsing history without the approval of a judge and under the supervision through the Department of Justice Attorney General Bill Barr. However, the move will only be prompted if the browsing history is deemed relevant to an investigation.
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FBI officials will not gain access to the content but will have access to certain keywords and websites. Senators Ron Wyden(D-OR) and Steve Daines(R-MT) tried to counter McConnell’s proposal by creating a bipartisan amendment to protect privacy rights but they were voted out due to several senators, including Bernie Sanders, not showing up to the session to vote “YES.” McConnell’s bill was voted 60 to 9.
Business Insider’s report states Wyden sees web browsing and searches contain the most private information of an American’s life:
“When you talk about web browsing and searches, you’re talking about some of the most sensitive, most personal, and most private details of Americans’ lives. Every thought that can come into people’s heads can be revealed in an internet search or a visit to a website,”
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Data shows that internet use has been at an increased rate due to everyone following stay-at-home protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal has also received backlash from liberal and conservative groups due to their privacy being violated from the government.