(TheDailyHorn.com) – In 2020, the Department of Justice began investigating circumstances surround a missing diary belonging to Joe Biden’s daughter. It ended up in the possession of Project Veritas CEO and founder James O’Keefe, who contacted the FBI to tell them he had it. Instead of talking to O’Keefe, the FBI raided his home, taking his smartphone and confidential Project Veritas data. The organization has been fighting to protect the records on the phone.
The Washington Examiner reported that conservatives are criticizing law enforcement’s legal powers to force Big Tech companies to spy on emails and text messages of journalists and media groups. O’Keefe said the DOJ is violating his First Amendment Rights. He may not be alone, as the massive agency tasked with enforcing federal law imposes up to 3,500 gag orders per year to surveil the public under the guise of legitimate law enforcement activities.
The recent covert seizures of Project Veritas emails has led to new criticism from conservatives and civil rights groups alike of law enforcement's use of Big Tech companies to spy on the communications of journalists and media organizations.
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 30, 2022
Digital rights advocacy groups argue that it’s too easy for law enforcement to spy on Americans and that its legal justification is frequently shakey. It used to be that law enforcement needed specific reasons to wiretap someone’s phone or look at private communications, but not any longer. Conservatives believe that the government’s actions against Project Veritas were politically motivated. The conservative organization says the government treats conservatives with a double standard regarding secret warrants.
Now that Project Veritas exposed the problem, will Congress fix it? There appears to be enough support among lawmakers to change the law. However, law enforcement agencies are muddying the waters with claims they need the tools to do their jobs.
Stay tuned. The courts may also have something to say about this issue in the future.
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