Under a key provision in the Senate compromise reached this summer. the Government would have been required to show that the records sought under this provision had some connection to a suspected terrorist or spy. But under the conference report we have now before the Senate. the Government may demand sensitive personal information of innocent Americans merely upon a showing that the records are "relevant" to a terrorism investigation. For example. the Government may be broadly suspicious of individuals in a particular immigrant community. Under section 215. the Government could go to the library in that community and demand the records of library cardholders to see which individuals are reading what. What about someone reading scientific texts. maybe even Smithsonian or one of the magazines people read dealing with automobiles. or Scientific American?
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