ABSTRACT

This chapter contains brief reviews of the statutes that may assist those seeking guidance for the legal limitations on Internet intelligence and investigations. For the most part, federal and state laws contain no restrictions on the use of the Internet to collect information-especially public or published information-for use by investigators. The summaries and views expressed here do not constitute legal opinions or advice, but are conveyed as commonsense interpretations of the meaning of current laws and indications of the intent of Congress and the judiciary, even if the laws themselves do not address Internet investigations directly. Because people have differing views and strong opinions about their privacy rights, some of the interpretations below may be controversial.