News and Document archive source
copyrighted material disclaimer at bottom of page

NewsMinesecuritybigbrotherdatabases — Viewing Item


Bookstore record seizures { June 22 2003 }

Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
   http://www.jsonline.com/enter/books/jun03/150168.asp

http://www.jsonline.com/enter/books/jun03/150168.asp

A. David Schwartz 'Takes Five'
Bookstores balk at record-seizure law
Last Updated: June 22, 2003
A. David Schwartz, president of Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops, recently joined a growing number of the nation's booksellers in criticizing an obscure provision of a federal law known as the USA Patriot Act of 2001. The Patriot Act, signed into law in October 2001 in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., granted new terrorism-investigation powers to the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. Section 215 of the act would compel a bookstore owner to release purchase records while imposing a gag order, prohibiting the business from disclosing to anyone that such information had been taken. That provision of the law "has given American booksellers a growing sense of discomfort and anxiety," Schwartz says in an advertising flier mailed to more than 25,000 customers in the Schwartz Gives Back program, which provides money for certain community organizations. In an opinion column on the front of the flier, Schwartz warns that he could not challenge or prevent federal seizure of records of purchases under the law. One possible remedy, he says, is a bill in Congress that would exempt bookstores from Section 215 unless the government can show cause for a request in court. The "Freedom to Read Protection Act" has 105 House sponsors. Schwartz talked recently with Journal Sentinel reporter Don Behm about the potential impact of Section 215.


Q. Do you support the federal government's efforts to monitor and investigate terrorist activities?

A. Yes. I am absolutely opposed to terrorism. The government has adequate tools to do that.

Q. Why are you opposed to the secret release of customer purchase records?

A. The FBI already has significant subpoena powers to obtain records. There is no need for the government to invade a person's privacy in this way. This is a uniquely un-American tool, and it should be rejected. The books we read are a very private part of our lives. People could stop buying books, and they could be terrified into silence.

Q. How did the Patriot Act change law enforcement procedures?

A. In the past, the government would have to defend their seizure demand in court if it was challenged, and this resulted in the vast majority of those FBI subpoenas being quashed. But this provision changed that, and now I could not challenge a demand. Why should our federal government be allowed to take records secretly without giving a specific reason for doing so?

Q. What book purchase records could be linked to a person?

A. Records of our Schwartz Gives Back community support program are an important marketing tool for us. For Schwartz Gives Back members, we donate 1% of a sale to one of 30 organizations that the customer has designated. In six or seven years, we have given more than $210,000 to community groups. This customer data helps us personalize our services. It is something that we believe we must do to continue to remain a viable small business. We also keep records of credit card purchases and all special orders for books that were not in stock.

Q. Has a law enforcement agency ever sought records from you?

A. In 40 years in business, I've never been asked. In the past, I would have said "no." But this provision of the Patriot Act changed things. Now, I don't have a choice. Since we began to collect data for our Schwartz Gives Back program, we have never given, sold or shared it with anyone outside.



matrix
3 million americans dna in federal dabase { June 3 2006 }
Aclu warns big brother
Bookstore record seizures { June 22 2003 }
British company offers homeland security database { December 12 2004 }
Everychild in england on safety list database
Expand dna databases
FBI broke law when collection domestic data { June 14 2007 }
Fbi reach in citizens financial records { November 12 2003 }
Fbi terror watch list has half million names { June 13 2007 }
Fbi wants fingerprints iris scans in database { January 15 2008 }
Federal plans database for all college and university students { November 29 2004 }
Feds sift americans banking records for terror { June 23 2006 }
Florida new counterterrorism database { August 6 2003 }
Immigration database lawsuit
Lexisnexis database personal information hacked
Medical info { August 13 2002 }
Minn state run police database shut down { December 18 2003 }
National crime information center database
New computer communcation homeland security network { February 24 2004 }
Nsa mines millions ordinary americans phone records
Parents shoot down statewide immunization database { March 31 2005 }
Pentagon creating student database { June 23 2005 }
Pentagons data collection jetblue
Pre crime
Rfids on sanfransisco library books
Single terror watch list
South carolina storing baby dna { June 25 2002 }
System use 50 times data loc { May 19 2003 }
Terror databases
Terror list denies citizens economic services { March 27 2007 }
Terror list has 5 million { January 20 2004 }
Us fingerprint british and other allies { April 2 2004 }

Files Listed: 32



Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security
Archives
Support one-state solution for Israel and Palestine Tea Party bumper stickers JFK for Dummies, The Assassination made simple