← Back to Concept Index

post-9-11-surveillance-expansion

The rapid growth of domestic spying programs authorized by the Bush administration shortly after the 9/11 attacks, including warrantless wiretapping and bulk data collection.

1 chapter across 1 book

Dragnet Nation (2014)Julia Angwin

Chapter 9

This chapter traces the origins and evolution of mass surveillance in the United States, focusing on the post-9/11 expansion of government spying programs that bypassed traditional Fourth Amendment protections. It highlights the collaboration between the U.S. government and tech companies to collect vast amounts of personal data, the legal loopholes exploited to justify suspicionless searches, and the gradual normalization and legalization of warrantless wiretapping and data collection. The chapter also contextualizes these developments historically, linking them to earlier abuses of general warrants that helped spark the American Revolution.