U.S. Congress pulls surveillance bill that included web browser searches without a warrant

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The United States Congress has scrapped a bill that would allow police to legally be able to search a suspect’s web browser history without the need of a search warrant. Congress pulled the bill after President Trump threatened to Veto the bill via Twitter.

The bill, the USA Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2020, would have renewed expired surveillance provisions, some of which date back to the Patriot Act. Of particular note is Section 215, which allows for the government to obtain “tangible things” — including browser and search histories — without a warrant during natural security investigations. That provision has been in effect since 2001 but expired in March, so Congress needs to reauthorize it.