[PLUG-TALK] A startling new power for James Comey and Donald Trump

[Rich Shepard]

From: Ron Wyden <wyden at wyden.net>

The federal government has a new plan to hack Americans' computers.

And if Congress doesn't do something by December 1st, Donald Trump and the
FBI will get expansive new hacking powers that will require only one judge
to sign one warrant to potentially hack computers all over the world.

I've introduced a bill, the Stopping Mass Hacking Act (S.2952), that will
stop this change from going through.

And, while it has Republican and Democratic co-sponsors, with our deadlocked
Congress, I need your help.

Please, stand with me and sign my petition urging Congress to pass the
Stopping Mass Hacking Act!
https://standtallforamerica.com/petition/stop-mass-hacking/e/

The Justice Department is using an obscure rule of federal criminal
procedure - called Rule 41 - to sneak this expansion through.

The DOJ says it's just a small change to how judges issue warrants. But this
is much more than just a small change.

Right now, when an FBI agent wants to hack computers of potential suspects
or innocent victims of malware attacks, it has to get a warrant from a judge
where the crime occurred.

That gives government hacking clear judicial oversight to make sure our
Fourth Amendment rights aren't violated and stops the FBI from hacking
whomever it wants.

But if the DOJ's "small change" goes through, the FBI can shop around until
it finds the right judge to sign just one warrant to hack any computers
related to their case. That could mean hacking millions of computers all
over the world with just one warrant.

And Congress hasn't even held a public hearing to debate this expansion of
government hacking and its potential consequences for the American people!

We have mere days to make sure Congress stops the FBI from getting mass
hacking powers.

Please, stand with me and sign my petition urging Congress to pass the
Stopping Mass Hacking Act!
https://standtallforamerica.com/petition/stop-mass-hacking/e/

If enacted, my bill would block the rule change from automatically going
through on December 1st.

My bill would give Congress more time to have the public debate the American
people deserve before we hand over expansive new hacking powers to the
federal government - that would have consequential, unforeseen
circumstances.

Some in Congress are saying "let's wait and see what the FBI does with this
new power."

But do we really trust FBI Director Comey to be honest about how the FBI
implements these expansive new hacking powers after he's lied about his
anti-encryption stance to Congress and politicized the FBI this election
cycle?

With just two weeks until December 1st, it's up to us to make sure Congress
knows that the American people are demanding action to stop mass hacking.

Please, stand with me and sign my petition urging Congress to pass the
Stopping Mass Hacking Act!
https://standtallforamerica.com/petition/stop-mass-hacking/e/

Thank you for standing with me.

Ron----