Patriot Act

A set of laws passed after September 11 2001 which reaches into every space that Americans once defined as private.

For instance, police can now obtain court orders to conduct sneak and peak searches of homes and offices, allowing them to break in, examine and remove or alter items without presenting owners with a warrant detailing what they were entitled to do and where. This also refers to the power of search and seizure, where the government can perform the examination of records.

Authorities can now browse medical, financial, educational or even library records without showing evidence of a crime. The law overrides existing state and federal privacy laws if the FBI claims that the information is connected to an intelligence investigation.

In addition, credit reporting firms like Equifax must disclose to the FBI any information that agents request in connection with a terrorist investigation, without the need for a court order. In the past, this was only permitted in espionage cases.