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Thought Police

Big Brother may be watching what you read

By Eleanor J. Bader

Within days of September 11, the police and FBI were besieged with tips informing them that several suspects—including one who fit Mohammed Atta’s description—had used public libraries in Hollywood Beach and Delray Beach, Florida, to surf the Internet. Shortly thereafter, a federal grand jury ordered library staff to submit all user records to law enforcement. The order began a pattern of… return to article

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