In a secret government agreement granted without approval or debate from lawmakers, the U.S. attorney general recently gave the National Counterterrorism Center sweeping new powers to store dossiers on U.S. citizens, even if they are not suspected of a crime, according to a news report.

Whereas previously the law prohibited the center from storing data compilations on U.S. citizens unless they were suspected of terrorist activity or were relevant to an ongoing terrorism investigation, the new powers give the center the ability to not only collect and store vast databases of information but also to trawl through and analyze it for suspicious patterns of behavior in order to uncover activity that could launch an investigation.

The changes granted by Holder would also allow databases containing information about U.S. citizens to be shared with foreign governments for their own analysis.

The Obama administration’s new rules come after previous surveillance proposals were struck down during the Bush administration, following widespread condemnation.

Yeah that Patriot Act was the end of all of us!

I don't think anyone here unconditionally trusts Obama, so whatever partisan vitriol you're trying to stir up here is pretty far misplaced. That said, the US PATRIOT Act was shit then and this is shit now, thanks for the update no one asked for.

Here's a tip for everyone

Don't trust any politician, period

Hey Bale, your signature is a quote from Cicero. Did he actually say that or did you rip it from some conservative propaganda bullshit circulating the internet via chain letter ...a reliable source I know but it makes me question your ability look at anything objectively.

Hey Kiti, way to avoid the actual issue (illegal government surveillance of the general public) through use of a pathetic straw man (the irrelevant "where'd you get that quote?" question).

What a colossal example of intellect you are!