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American Civil Liberties Union Urges Action on the Freedom to Read Act
With the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act, the FBI gained the power to search your library and book-buying records without probable cause of any crime or intent to commit a crime. Furthermore, librarians and others who are required to turn over records are not allowed to say that the search has occurred or that records were given to the government.This means that average Americans could have their privacy violated wholesale without justification or proper judicial oversight. Questions from Members of Congress to the Department of Justice about the use of this power have gone unanswered or have received a superficial response.
In response to these dangerous powers, Rep. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) has proposed the "Freedom to Read Protection Act" (HR. 1157). This act would restrict the key provision of the USA PATRIOT Act -- by exempting libraries and bookstores from the laws that allow the FBI to conduct these searches of personal records.
Take Action! Urge your Representatives to support the Freedom to Read Protection Act! Resolutions against the PATRIOT Act have passed in 104 communities in 24 states -- including one state-wide resolution in Hawaii. These communities represent approximately 11.1 million people who are concerned about the USA PATRIOT Act and its impacts on civil liberties. In response to one section of the PATRIOT Act alone, many librarians across the country have decided to put up signs warning patrons that the FBI may be snooping in their records.