Does Carnivore contravene the Fourth Amendment?
No. The Fourth Amendment states: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Carnivore requires a warrant to be issued given “probable cause” clearly specifying who the suspect is (e.g. email address), what lines will be tapped, and what kind of information is being seized (e.g. emails). Furthermore, wiretaps like Carnivore are usually held to a higher standard. A warrant for the contents of your e-mail can only be issued by a Federal District judge or higher, whereas normal search warrants can be authorized by any judge. For paranoids: At least for now, the government considers tapping your e-mail a serious thing and curtails most of the FBI’s ability to read it. The NSA may be coordinating with the B
