IRS: We can read emails without warrant

[Guest AmericanWorkMule]

So when are we going to see all those e-mails regarding Operation Fast & Furious or Benghazi

 

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has claimed that agents do not need warrants to read people's emails, text messages and other private electronic communications, according to internal agency documents.

 http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/292989-irs-claims-it-can-read-emails-without-a-warrant#ixzz2Q7ExF9dg

 

[vontar]

They are smoking the good stuff up in Washington now.

 

No Court order, no search.  Period.

 

I saw something about this and in a post I saw the ACLU is all over it.

Edited April 11, 2013 by vontar

[2.ooohhh]

While I don't agree with them reading them without a warrant, if you believe your email is any more secure a method of communication than a post card sent through the mail you are mistaken.

 

You have to use some heavy duty encryption with carefully thought out implementation and strict execution to keep the contents secure. 

[RichardR]

*sigh* wonder what George Washington & Thomas Jefferson would think of a major agency of the US governmment showing such blatent disregard for our Constitutional protections?

[Krull]

it would be naive to think that the government does not look at anything we do without a warrant.

[leroy]

Wait until they read a high roller or "fortunate son's" mail and take him to court.  They can do anything they want until they make it to the federal court.

 

leroy

[Lumber_Jack]

I heard on Fox News this morning that Tennessee is one of 11 states that has a law that prevents this. Anyone know that?

[RichardR]

Well I had a "census" worker come to my house today & asked me & my ol'lady a bunch of personal questions, she said we were required by law to answer all of them.

I said but isn't the census only once every 10 years, never heard of anything like this before, she said this was "the long form version" whatever the hell that means.

Anyway the questions were sort of spooky the amount of information that "we were required by law" to give, the sort of personal info which should be no concern to a government anyway, more private investigator / FBI sort of questions IMHO.

I almost told her to F-off because none of any of that is any of her business, but I didn't want any hassless, got enough stuff to deal with at the moment ...

[TripleDigitRide]

There's no doubt the .gov has long been reading/intercepting email, text messages, etc. without a warrant or your knowledge. They may not be able to use it against you right away, but what they read can assist in their "investigation". They will then use that information to find out more information, build a case against you, get a warrant (only for procedural purposes) for access to emails and texts they've already accessed, act surprised by what they've found, continue to build the case against you, etc.....