In a month, a dark procedural tweak will come into effect allowing the FBI to do hacking on any computer in the world using a single warrant.
The change approved by the Supreme Court is Article 41 or Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Right now, if law enforcement wants to hack into a computer, they have to get a warrant that applies to the jurisdiction of the court where the computer is located. computer. With the change in regulation, they could hack into any computer in the US or the world.
As a bonus, the change will allow law enforcement to freely access and hack into computers that already are hacked, without the need for a warrant. So, for example, if you are infected with a virus, law enforcement will be able to see all your files without a warrant.
It is important to note that this change, while theoretically does not give the FBI any extra responsibilities, makes it easier for agents to watch and chase suspects who are behind a VPN or an anonymous network like Tor.
For example, it would allow investigators with one warrant rather than one for each country, or each US state involved, to break into systems around the world, and would allow them without a warrant to search computers infected with malware software.
Congress has not yet discussed this change, and the new regulations will enter into force on 1 in December, unless lawmakers pass a law banning it. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rand Paul (R-KY) have already reacted by asking for the Hacking Mass but they are just two.
Internet groups are already fighting against change, and they have asked General Prosecutor Loretta Lynch to make a statement on the subject.
Unfortunately in the US it's the height of the presidential election, and there's a chance it won't be debated by Congress before the deadline. There is still a possibility that after the elections a bill could be passed, by the new administration.
So the FBI and other law enforcement authorities will be able to carry out hacking at will anywhere in the world based on a single judicial warrant.
But you should not worry because you are not doing something illegal, right?
