A federal district court has delivered a pivotal ruling that strikes at the heart of unchecked government surveillance. In the criminal case United States v. Hasbajrami, the court determined that backdoor searches of vast databases containing Americans’ private communications — collected under Section 702 — typically require a warrant. This judgment comes after more than a decade of legal battles and follows the Second Circuit Court of Appeals’ 2019 finding that such searches constitute “separate Fourth Amendment events,” leaving it to the lower court to address the warrant requirement. That question has now been resolved. Continue reading “Federal Court Rules Warrant is Required for Section 702 Backdoor Searches of Americans’ Communications”
Posted: January 24, 2025
Categories: News
President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a “full and unconditional” pardon for Silk Road founder Ross Ulbright, stating that “the scum that worked to convict him were some of the same lunatics who were involved in the modern day weaponization of government against me.” 
Elise Stefanik, President Trump’s nominee for United Nations Ambassador, said Tuesday during her confirmation hearing that she agrees with the view that “Israel has a biblical right to the entire West Bank.” ![Palestinians, returned to Jabalia Refugee Camp, and Beit Lahia areas in the northern Gaza Strip following the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, face massive destruction in Gaza City, Gaza on January 19, 2025. [Haneen Salem - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/AA-20250120-36803514-36803488-PALESTINIANS_RETURNING_TO_NORTHERN_GAZA_AFTER_CEASEFIRE_FACE_DESTRUCTION.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)