Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia released the information following a petition by investigative journalist Jason Leopold, now with BuzzFeed, that was joined by the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)
By Spencer S. Hsu July 18
Sealed law enforcement requests to track Americans without a warrant through cellphone location records or Internet activity grew sevenfold in the past three years in the District, new information released by a federal judge shows.
Details about the growth come as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs whether to rein in such rapidly expanding demands.
Legal experts said the disclosure Monday appears to mark a first, and that neither the Justice Department nor private companies have previously made public such specific data about how often law enforcement agencies seek those court orders.
Continue reading “Speaking of Orwell…”