The Federal Bureau of Investigation is rewriting its operations manual in a way which will make it easier for agents to search databases and go through the household trash of individuals who come to their attention, Charlie Savage of the New York Times reports.Updates to the FBI’s Domestic Investigations and Operations Guide will allow agents to issue lie-detector tests not only on suspects but also on potential informants even before they’ve opened a “preliminary investigation,” which requires a factual basis for suspecting wrongdoing. Agents could potentially use the information gathered from an individual’s trash to pressure them to help in their investigations of others.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=110688