The Real Reason You Should Care About the Petraeus Affair: Privacy (MotherJones.com)
The FBI used an allegation of online harassment to collect a vast trove of e-mails regarding CIA Director Gen. Petraeus’ extramarital affair, highlighting the expansive scope of the FBI’s investigative authorities. Investigators likely used the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (ECPA) to access this personal information stored online, without the need to obtain judicial warrants based on probable cause. The investigation highlights the need to modernize ECPA so that it adequately protects Americans’ online privacy.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/11/cia-petraeus-fbi-broadwell-emails-privacy
Read an ACLU blog on surveillance and online security here: https://www.aclu.org/blog/technology-and-liberty-national-security/surveillance-and-security-lessons-petraeus-scandal
Learn more about modernizing ECPA here: https://www.aclu.org/technology-and-liberty/modernizing-electronic-communications-privacy-act-ecpa
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