CS 4873: The USA Patriot Act, FISA, and Leakers/Whistleblowers

Back when this course had a final exam, the content here was a guide to what you needed to know for the exam. I'm still including it as a guide to what I think an informed human should understand, and what you should understand before attending section this week:

• FISA
• What is the history of FISA?
• What are the key provisions of FISA?
• USA Patriot Act
• What is the history of the USA Patriot Act?
• What are the key provisions of the USA Patriot Act?
• What is section 215 of the Patriot Act and why is it controversial?
• Who is Brandon Mayfield, what happened to him, and why is this significant?
• National Security Letters
• What is a National Security Letter (NSL)?
• How has the use of NSLs changed over time?
• Discuss arguments in favor of and against the use of NSLs