Department of Justice to Review Patriot Act

The Campaign for Reader Privacy is welcoming an announcement this week that the Inspector General (IG) of the Justice Department will undertake a new investigation into how the government is using the Patriot Act domestic surveillance powers. Prior IG reports have documented widespread abuse by the FBI of National Security Letters (NSLs) and questionable use of Section 215 orders, the two Patriot Act provisions of greatest concern to reader privacy advocates. The new report will cover the years 2007 through 2009.

ABFFE President Chris Finan said the IG's reports have played an important role in building support for changes in the Patriot Act. "When the Inspector General says there is a problem, Congress has to listen," he said.

In 2009, the Campaign for Reader Privacy succeeded in securing the approval of bills by the House and Senate Judiciary Committees that would have prohibited the use of Section 215 to search the records of a bookstore customer or library patron unless "specific and articulable facts" showed that the person is "a suspected agent of a foreign power" or is known to the suspected agent. But time ran out before Congress could complete the reauthorization process, and a temporary one-year extension of the existing Patriot Act was approved in February 2010.

Booksellers Flip Over 3D Bookmarks

Booksellers who visited ABFFE at BookExpo were delighted by the exciting 3D bookmarks offered by emotionGallery, the newest company to participate in the ABFFE affiliate program. More than 100 booksellers signed up for emotionGallery's introductory offer of 144 free bookmarks and a compact display with a battery-powered cylinder that rotates to reveal the bookmarks in full motion. New customers will pay only if they order more bookmarks. emotionGallery will contribute $1 to ABFFE for every 10 bookmarks it sells to independent booksellers.

To sign up for emotionGallery's introductory offer, booksellers can email the company or call (305) 576-9013. emotionGallery has also opened an office in Miami to provide customer service and is in the process of constructing a new website.

ABFFE Hosts Lively BEA Debate

Last month at Book Expo America, ABFFE hosted "Free Speech for Corporations?" - a debate over the Supreme Court's controversial decision in the Citizens United case, which granted corporations the right to spend unlimited funds in political campaigns. Former Congressman and current President and CEO of the Association of American Publishers Tom Allen moderated an exchange between Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, and Ira Glasser, former executive director of the ACLU.

Weissman called the ruling "disastrous" and predicted that it will have a chilling effect on public officials who would otherwise speak out for minority groups and against the interests of politically active corporations. Glasser, however, said the ruling opens up substantial opportunities for organizations "that are not even part of the problem," like the ACLU, NAACP, and Planned Parenthood.

In Weissman's view, public funding for political candidates could provide an antidote to the problems he attributes to the ruling but said his organization is also pushing for a constitutional amendment affirming that First Amendment rights belong to the people and the press, not for-profit corporations. Glasser countered that opening the First Amendment up for debate was "the dumbest, stupidest thing" imaginable and warned that doing so could end in the loss of current speech protections.

Show Your Support for Freadom!

ABFFE's popular "freadom" t-shirts, buttons, bookmarks, bumper stickers and more are available during Banned Books Week and all year round. 

To order online, visit the ABFFE store.