WASHINGTON, DC – The ACLU said the U.S. House approved the “Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act” recently to “ban the government from purchasing Americans’ data from data brokers that they would otherwise need a warrant to obtain,” adding the vote came days after the House OK’d “one of themost dramatic expansions of warrantless government surveillance since the Patriot Act.”
The ACLU said it’s now counting on the Senate to pass this act for the protection of Americans from the government gleaning their personal information without a warrant.
The ACLU statement asserts the “Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act” calls for the banning of government intervention from “purchasing American’s data from data brokers.” The government would have to obtain a warrant to do so, which also includes location and internet records, the statement notes.
As the ACLU statement warns, when the government wants to obtain an American’s private information such as where they live, then they are mandated by the Fourth Amendment to go to court for a warrant to do so.
Federal agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Defense have been “buying their way around this requirement by purchasing American’s sensitive information through common applications,” the ACLU said.
For instance, as the ACLU notes, the government could utilize an app like Tinder or the Weather Channel to buy their way around and be able to obtain an individual’s location “without users realizing it” and “without a warrant or probable cause.”
According to the ACLU, the “Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act” would counteract the bill reauthorizing Section 702 and therefore put a restriction on the government.
ACLU Senior Policy Counsel Kia Hamadanchy said, “The bipartisan passage of this bill is a flashing warning sign to the government that if it wants our data, it must get a warrant. We hope this vote puts a fire under the Senate to protect their constituents and rein in the government’s warrantless surveillance of Americans, once and for all.”
Vy Tran is a 4th-year student at UCLA pursuing a B.A. in Political Science--Comparative Politics and a planned minor in Professional Writing. Her academic interests include political theory, creative writing, copyediting, entertainment law, and criminal psychology. She has a passion for the analytical essay form, delving deep into correlational and description research for various topics, such as constituency psychology, East-Asian foreign relations, and narrative theory within transformative literature. When not advocating for awareness against the American carceral state, Vy constantly navigates the Internet for the next wave of pop culture trends and resurgences. That, or she opens a blank Google doc to start writing a new romance fiction on a whim, with an açaí bowl by her side.
Estrella Torres is a first-generation Latina student in her 3rd year at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is pursuing a major in Political Science and a minor in Public Affairs. Estrella has a strong passion and dedication to addressing social justice issues and political activism both in her high school and university. Her positionality as a student coming from a Mexican immigrant household has fueled her to pursue career goals involved with social justice and immigration law. She hopes to help undocumented immigrants as a lawyer and promote policies that would better their lives and provide them with fair and equal opportunities. Because of this, she is planning to go on the pre-law track and foster her skills of reading, writing, analyzing, and critical thinking. She hoped to gain more experience in journalism as regards law, local government, and public policy that would further prepare her for her goals.
Riley Lehren-Chavez, originally from Los Angeles and the Coachella valley, is a senior at UC Berkeley double majoring in Political Science and Media Studies. She intends on pursing a career in news media/journalism. Riley enjoys cats, coffee, reading, and Tiramisu (her bearded dragon).
Akshaj Mehta is currently a first year at UCLA, as a political science major. He is a published author with 5 published books, the most recent titled The Butterfly Effect in collaboration with non-profit KidsFirst Roseville. He has written for the N Magazine of Natomas and Sacramento School Beat in the past. His passion for writing has been a central part of his life ever since he was young, and is excited to continue his writing journey.
Jenna Tooley is a third-year senior studying Political Science with a concentration in American Politics and minors in Global Studies and Public Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles. She has a passion for social justice and advocacy work and intends on pursuing Law School in the very near future, with a potential specialization in Criminal Law in aims of dismantiling the stigma around incarcerated people and addressing the root causes of recidvism to provides incarcerated people resources and rehabilitation to independently function upon re-entry into society. Outside of her advocacy work she enjoys traveling and sightseeing, aborbing the ambiance of coffee shops, and thifting as a form of self-care.
Xinhui Lin is a first-year student at the University of California, Los Angeles, pursuing a double major in Public Affairs and Sociology on a Pre-law track. Her unwavering commitment to addressing social injustices is deeply rooted in her cultural background and her personal experiences while growing up in Shanghai, China. Xinhui keenly observed the pervasive gender and racial inequalities, the subtle yet significant discrimination against minority groups, and the everyday micro-aggressions that disenfranchised individuals face. After exploring the philosophical question regarding the intricate relationship between power, morality, and justice, Xinhui kindled her interest in the intricacies of the criminal justice system – a cornerstone of society meant to epitomize principles of justice and fairness. Her commitment to understanding and improving this system is evident in her aspirations to potentially pursue a career as an attorney, with a strong desire to advocate for disadvantaged individuals.
