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NATIONAL SECURITY LETTERS CASES > Overview > Internet Archive > Library Records > Internet Records > FOIA BLOG HuffingtonPost: Judge Gags Patriot Act Provision FROM THE 2006 MEMBERSHIP CONFERENCE Ambassador Joe Wilson, "Faces of Surveillance" Clients Discuss Illegal Spying LEARN MORE > FBI Withdraws Unconstitutional National Security Letter After ACLU And EFF Challenge > ACLU Applauds Senate Scrutiny of Overbroad NSL Authority > Government's Unchecked Power to Censor Speech > The Patriot Act > Government Spyfiles

Within the Patriot Act is a "National Security Letter" provision that radically expanded the FBI's authority to demand records without prior court approval. The provision also allows the FBI to forbid or "gag" anyone who receives an NSL from telling anyone about the record demand.

In August 2005, the ACLU disclosed that the FBI used an NSL to demand records from the Library Connection, a consortium of 26 Connecticut libraries, including borrowed reading materials and Internet usage. The librarians were never forced to comply with the demand and the records were never turned over to the authorities.

Before Judge Janet Hall of the U.S. District Court in Connecticut, the ACLU sought an emergency court order to lift the gag so the client could participate in the critical debate in Congress over reauthorization or expansion of the Patriot Act. The ACLU also urged the Justice Department and the Supreme Court to lift the gag to no avail.

Several weeks after the reauthorization of the Patriot Act, the government gave up its legal battle over a gag order, and the Appeals Court effectively lifted the gag in May 2006. In late June, the FBI abandoned its demand all together and the librarians can now disclose the NSL they received.

NSL CLIENTS
> Barbara Bailey
> Peter Chase
> George Christian
> Janet Nocek
> Video from the Press Conference (5/30/2006)

NEWS
> Supreme Court Unseals Documents in Patriot Act Case (8/3/2006)
> Government Drops Library Records Demand (6/26/2006)
> Librarians Speak Out After Patriot Act Gag (5/30/2006)
> Government Drops Fight to Gag Librarians (4/12/2006)
> Justice Department Continues Offensive on NSL (12/2/2005)
> Reports Show 30,000 Records Demands (11/7/2005)
> Court Urged to Uphold Patriot Block (11/2/2005)
> Supreme Court Keeps Gag Intact (10/7/2005)
> Groups Call to Lift Gag Order (9/28/2005)
> Client Remains Gagged (9/20/2005)
> Judge Orders FBI to Lift Gag (9/9/2005)
> Librarian Fears Imprisonment (9/1/2005)
> FBI Demands Library Information (8/25/2005)

DOCUMENTS
> Library Connection National Security Letter
> NSL Letter (PDF)
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