Supreme Court Rule Change Expands FBI Search Powers
by: Aalvarez • April 30, 2016 • no comments
The U.S. Supreme Court recently approved a rule change to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, a change that greatly expands the FBI's searching and hacking powers. Previously under the Federal Rules, a magistrate judge was forbidden from approving a warrant request to remotely search a computer if the investigator did not know where the computer was, because the computer might be outside the judge's jurisdiction.
Under revised Rule 41, set to go into effect unless modified by Congress before December 1st, a magistrate may issue a warrant to search or seize a computer regardless of where it is, if the target device is using software, like Tor, or other technological means to conceal its location. Check out the Intercept for more information.
