Widespread US Police Surveillance Is Happening In Total Secrecy

Thousands of government requests for electronic surveillance in connection with criminal investigations remain under seal long after the investigations have ended, Jennifer Valentino-Devries of The Wall Street Journal reports.

The practice is unlike nearly all other aspects of American judicial proceedings, where courts have held that search warrants eventually should be made public.

The thing is that getting permission for electronic surveillance techniques — including tracking metadata and gathering all cellphones connected to a cell tower — is easier than getting a search or wiretap warrant.

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