University libraries nationwide are the new targets of the FBI.
Congress drafted bills, one from the Senate (S 187) and two from the House (HR 3773 and HR 3782), that would allow the intelligence agencies to compel communications service providers on campuses to obtain access to e-mails, online research activities and other electronic information.
Such mandates are detrimental to the progress of cooperative, international and global research.
But they also pose questions of constitutionality. How much power should we allow the government to have over us?
The bills, which are amendments to the already established Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, would allow the government to search through universities’ private information. Their ultimate goal is to disclose whether foreigners have any terrorist affiliation. According to the Washington Post, authorities need no “probable cause” to conduct this search.
The research of students and faculty all over the globe allows for great progress, especially in the areas of medicine and liberal arts.
UCLA participates in research with 124 other countries and has more than 4,000 alumni doing research abroad.
For the government to question the integrity of hardworking academics is not only insulting, but may also pose a threat to this astounding amount of international research.
In addition, according to the UCLA International Institute, the university houses more than 4,200 foreign students who have been thoroughly screened and interviewed.
With such tedious background checks, requirements for references, and letters of recommendation, it would be hard for qualified officials to miss such glaring faults in candidates.
If the bills were to pass, the United States would be singling out “non-Americans” and disparaging diversity.
Librarians in many universities question the authority of intelligence agencies to demand the private information of library patrons.
In the summer of 2005, FBI agents issued a subpoena to a librarian at a university in Connecticut, demanding subscriber billing ““ among other information ““ from those who had accessed the school library computers.
Although the FBI agents were given the power to search without court approval, the librarian refused to release information and did not agree to the gag order issued by the bureau to keep the demand a secret.
The search for private information has always been allowed only through a warrant issued by the courts. If Congress can give itself the power to obtain private information without court approval, we have little to no power over what Congress can do.
After the incident in Connecticut, librarians from other universities protested the FBI’s self-authorization. In March 2006, they found success: The Patriot Act was revised to specify that librarians were not subject to FBI subpoenas.
However, this amendment to the Patriot Act does not protect against other means that the federal government may take in order to search and seize our private information.
The easy release of student and faculty information introduces a new security risk, allowing others to access our information under the guise of “aiding” the government.
Just last year, someone managed to hack into UCLA’s personal information through URSA.
Allowing librarians or any other school administrator to release the personal information of students and faculty members could cause more such problems, even if the actions are intended to benefit national security.
But some choose a more cynical view of students. Senator Christopher Bond (R-Mo.), vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, is one of many congressmen who believe that libraries should not be exceptions to the FBI’s access to information.
“”˜You know what happens if that (library exception) gets into the bill?'” Bond asked in an interview with the Washington Post regarding passage of a new probing bill. “You would have your libraries filled with al-Qaida operatives.”
Keeping the nation safe against terrorists is important, but I sincerely doubt that UCLA’s refusal to release information will turn Powell Library into a hotbed of terrorist activity.
If you believe that Powell is a point of treasonous activity at UCLA, please e-mail Tehrani at ntehrani@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.