Patriot Act is a United States law that expanded the powers of law enforcement to help prevent and respond to terrorism. Congress passed the law in October 2001, following the terrorist attacks on September 11 that year. The law’s official name is the USA PATRIOT Act, which stands for _U_niting and _S_trengthening _A_merica by _P_roviding _A_ppropriate _T_ools _R_equired to _I_ntercept and _O_bstruct _T_errorism Act.
The Patriot Act gives law enforcement officials the power to detain for up to seven days—or, in some cases, indefinitely—any noncitizen suspected of posing a threat to national security. The law also grants authorities greater freedom to conduct searches of people’s homes and automobiles, in some cases without notifying the individual of the search. Another provision expands the power of authorities to use wiretapping—that is, the interception of communication through electronic listening devices. The law grants authorities greater freedom to monitor e-mail and to access information from library, bookstore, bank, and medical records. The Patriot Act also permits greater sharing of information between local police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Opponents of the Patriot Act charge that it threatens civil rights. They argue that features of the act violate due process of law, the legal requirements that must be met before a person accused of a crime can be punished. Opponents also claim that the Patriot Act violates constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. However, supporters of the act argue that expanded law enforcement powers are necessary to defend against terrorist threats.
Central provisions of the act were originally scheduled to expire at the end of 2005, but Congress extended the provisions into early 2006. In 2006, Congress renewed the Patriot Act, with slight modifications, and extended it again in 2011.
In 2015, Congress reauthorized expiring portions of the Patriot Act, but with the inclusion of new safeguards for citizens’ privacy. Previously, the law had allowed for the bulk collection of domestic telephone records by the National Security Agency. Under the new surveillance program, such records would instead be held by the telephone companies. Access to the records could only be obtained with a court order.
