PATRIOT Act reauthorized with amendments.

• Position: PRIVACY

In early October, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill to extend the USA PATRIOT Act. The PATRIOT Act, originally enacted to combat terrorism, gives government officials the ability to conduct various types of surveillance without waiting for court orders. The act has been the focus of civil liberties groups, who have criticized its lack of privacy protections.

The extension bill includes two amendments:

* First, the Department of Justice would have to discard any illegally obtained...