In April 2004, the American Civil Liberties Union and an
anonymous Internet Service Provider (ISP) filed a lawsuit
challenging the FBI's authority to issue "National Security
Letters" (NSLs) ordering certain kinds of businesses to turn
over sensitive customer records. Before the Patriot Act, the FBI
could use NSLs to obtain records concerning suspected terrorists
and spies. The Patriot Act amended the law to allow the use of
NSLs to obtain information about anyone at all. Make a
Difference Your support helps the ACLU stand up for human rights
and defend civil liberties. The ACLU's legal challenge argues
that the amended law violates the First and Fourth Amendments
because it does not impose adequate safeguards on the FBI's
authority to force disclosure of sensitive and constitutionally
protected information. The lawsuit also challenges the
constitutionality of the statute's gag provision, which
prohibits anyone who receives an NSL from disclosing even the
mere fact that the FBI has sought information. Because