Making Meaning

Academic
A HISTORY OF
VocabuIary
communication
com•mu•ni•ca•tion (noun)
LISTENING IN
BY ERIN KEDDIE
1934 entry

Meaning
THE FOURTH AMENDMENT
the process of sharing
1 The right of the people to be secure in their persons,
houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches
Example and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall
issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or
What is one form of
affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be
communication you use daily?
searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
One form of

I use daily is 2 Can the government listen in on conversations or watch

what you do on the Internet if the goal is to keep you safe? New
technology has led to new laws about surveillance.

E D
THE INVENTION OF THE TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE W I R
restrict The ability to send messages over wires is a great
re•strict (verb) achievement, but leads to tricky questions about whether
1968 entry
the Fourth Amendment protects those messages.

Meaning

to the use,
1844 1876
size, or amount of something telegraph telephone

Example

1928
When do you restrict the amount THE COURT RULES IN OLMSTEAD v. THE UNITED STATES
of information you share about The Supreme Court rules that wiretapping, or listening
yourself? to phone conversations, doesn’t go against the Fourth
Amendment because phone calls are not possessions.
I the amount of
information I share about myself
1934 THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS ACT BECOMES LAW
This law says giving away information you overhear on
when I the phone is illegal. But it does not say listening is illegal.

1967 THE COURT RULES IN KATZ v. UNITED STATES

The Supreme Court rules that personal phone calls
are protected under the Fourth Amendment.
Wiretapping is still allowed if its purpose
is to protect the
United States.

138 Workshop 3 • Part 1

 Time Line

CIose Reading
1968 THE OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL AND
SAFE STREETS ACT BECOMES LAW
This is the first law to restrict wiretapping. It says Key Idea
a court must give permission to wiretap. What does this time line explain?

THE INVENTION OF THE MOBILE PHONE AND EMAIL WIREL

ESS This time line explains
Without wires, the word “wiretapping” no longer applies.
New technologies lead to new laws.

1971 1973
Identify Text Structure
email mobile phone
How do the invention entries in the
time line help you better understand
the surveillance laws?
THE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS PRIVACY ACT
1986
The invention entries in the time line
BECOMES LAW
This act amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act. help me understand
Now, cell phone calls and electronic data are also protected.

1
200 THE PATRIOT ACT BECOMES LAW
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,
this act makes it easier for government officials to get
approval to listen in on phone and online conversations.

2
200
THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY (NSA) GAINS POWER React and Write
This government agency can now monitor conversations to
try to prevent terrorist attacks without getting approval first. Do you think the government should
be able to listen in on conversations?

2013 NEWSPAPERS INVESTIGATE

Two newspapers reveal that the NSA has gathered personal
I think the government (should/should
not) listen to conversations because
information from millions of people. A federal judge
rules the NSA is likely violating the Fourth Amendment.

2014 REFORMS ARE MADE TO THE NSA

The US government says the NSA’s surveillance program
violates the Fourth Amendment. It admits the program is
not critical in preventing terrorist attacks.

2015
THE USA FREEDOM ACT BECOMES LAW
The NSA must now get court approval STRATEGY TOOLKIT
to gather phone or Internet data. Text Structure
Time lines present events in the
order they occurred. Use time
seizures acts of suddenly taking control of something, especially by force lines to understand how ideas or
Warrants legal documents that are signed by a judge and allow the police situations change over time.
to do something

It’s Your Right 139