Patriot Act

1. Increased surveillance and intelligence-gathering powers: The act allows law enforcement agencies to intercept communications and gather intelligence more easily, including through the use of wiretaps and other forms of surveillance.

2. Improved information sharing: The act encourages agencies to share information about terrorist threats and activities more readily, both within the government and with foreign partners.

3. Enhanced border security: The act strengthens the government's ability to monitor and control the flow of people and goods across U.S. borders.

4. Improved financial tracking: The act gives the government greater ability to track and disrupt the financing of terrorism, including through the use of financial sanctions.

5. Increased penalties for terrorism offenses: The act increases the penalties for terrorism-related crimes and makes it easier for the government to prosecute terrorists.

The USA PATRIOT Act (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act) is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It contains a number of provisions that expand the authorities of law enforcement agencies to detect, prevent, and prosecute acts of terrorism.

One of the most controversial provisions of the PATRIOT Act is Section 215, which allows the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to obtain orders from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) authorizing the production of "any tangible things" relevant to a terrorism investigation. This provision has been used to justify the bulk collection of telephone metadata, which includes information about phone calls such as the numbers called, the duration of the calls, and the time and date of the calls, but not the content of the calls.

The Patriot Act (formally known as the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, or USA PATRIOT Act) was a law enacted by the United States Congress in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001.

The Patriot Act expanded the powers of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute terrorism, including by allowing for increased surveillance of individuals and organizations suspected of terrorist activities. It also made it easier for law enforcement to share information about suspected terrorists and to detain and deport non-citizens suspected of terrorist activities.