National Security Letters

Creeping Big Brother:

A national security letter cannot be used to authorize eavesdropping or to read the contents of e-mail. But it does permit investigators to trace revealing paths through the private affairs of a modern digital citizen. The records it gathers describe where a person makes and spends money, with whom he lives and lived before, how much he gambles, what he buys online, what he pawns and borrows, where he travels, how he invests, what he searches for and reads on the Web, and who telephones or e-mails him at home and at work.

This really sounds like a system ripe for abuse. I have to wonder if these have been used to help cover-up terrorism, as opposed to uncovering terrorism. For instance, this info could be used by the FBI to blackmail someone whom they want to keep quiet. Like say, someone who saw something they weren't supposed to-- the FBI checks out their online habits and sees they go to a particularly embarrassing porn site. Well, you get the picture...