FC: House votes 327-101 to permit warrantless searches of U.S. mail

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Thu May 23 2002 - 07:28:00 PDT

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    [Links to the bill and who voted for it are in the article. --Declan]
    
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    http://www.wired.com/news/conflict/0,2100,52739,00.html
    
       Act Would OK Snail Mail Searches
       By Declan McCullagh 
    
       2:00 a.m. May 23, 2002 PDT
       WASHINGTON -- Just a few years ago, the U.S. Postal Service got
       savaged by privacy advocates after suggesting that private mailbox
       services were somehow objectionable.
       
       Since services like Mailboxes Etc. could encourage fraud, the post
       office declared, businesses must limit anonymity by demanding photo ID
       from all customers.
    
       Three years later, the Postal Service's lobbyists are fighting for
       Americans' privacy rights -- and opposing a bill in Congress that
       would allow U.S. Customs agents to open any internationally-mailed
       letter or parcel for almost any reason.
       
       So far, the Postal Service has had little luck: On Wednesday, the U.S.
       House of Representatives approved the new surveillance powers by a 327
       to 101 vote. The bill, titled the Customs Border Security Act, says
       that incoming or outgoing mail can be searched at the border "without
       a search warrant."
    
       [...]
    
    
    
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