PATRIOT opens surveillance door

Terrorism bill contains tools to open records

In the name of fighting terrorism, federal agents could ask Northern Colorado businesses to turn over a person’s educational, medical, financial, mental-health and travel records.

Agents could approach Internet service providers about monitoring Web browsing and e-mail use.

These and other law-enforcement powers were expanded with the October signing of a federal law called the PATRIOT Act, based on an acronym for “Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.”

Critics argue that judicial supervision and standards of proof have been minimized too far, opening the possibility for McCarthy-era-style surveillance of many innocent Americans. They also…