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NSA Data-Gathering May Run Into
California Roadblock
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[May 20, 2014]
By Sharon Bernstein
SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - The
federal government would need a warrant from a judge if it wants the
cooperation of California officials in searching residents' cellphone
and computer records, under a bill making its way through the state
legislature.
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 The bill, which passed the state Senate with just one opposing
vote on Monday, was introduced in the wake of information leaked by
former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden showing
massive internal surveillance of U.S. citizens by the NSA.
"The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is very clear. It
says the government shall not engage in unreasonable search and
seizure," said the bill's author, Democratic State Senator Ted Lieu,
of Torrance. "The National Security Agency's massive and
indiscriminate collecting of phone data on all Americans, including
more than 38 million Californians, is a threat to our liberty and
freedom."
The California bill is the farthest along of several such measures
that have been introduced in eight states, according to Lieu's
spokesman Jeff Gozzo, including Alaska, Arizona and Oklahoma.
It comes as Congress wrestles with a similar bill at the national
level.
A federal judge ruled last year that the National Security Agency's
practice of gathering so-called meta-data on U.S. residents was
likely unconstitutional, but the ruling is being appealed by the
Obama administration.
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The California bill would not allow law enforcement and other
officials in the most populous U.S. state to assist federal agencies
looking for records of phone calls, Internet use or other electronic
activity by residents unless a warrant has been issued by a judge.
It was opposed by the California District Attorneys Association,
which said the bill was too vague.
(Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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