After the September 11, 2001 incident, the public, in a state of fear, clamored for greater security. The US government was only too happy to oblige. The passage of a series of laws brought together under one act, known as the Patriot Act, undermined people's right to free speech as well as many other rights established by the Bill of Rights. And through digital media the privacy of people subjected to this act would be almost non-existent (Larry Abramson). This act violates ethical principles by monitoring lives in an unprecedented way (Susan). While it is necessary to take measures to protect our borders from terrorist threats, it is not acceptable to do so at the expense of long-established fundamental rights for security reasons. While at this time many of the most severe provisions of the Patriot Act have already disappeared. , there are still many that place restrictions on fundamental rights. One of these provisions is the ability for government agents to use a “Sneak and Peek” warrant. This is a warrant that allows authorities to search a home or business without immediately notifying the target of the investigation (Larry Abramson). This is unconstitutional because it denies citizens the right to due process. While many might see this as a good thing in the case of serious offenders, the wording is too broad to limit it to such crimes. It could also be used for minor crimes such as evading speeding tickets (Kristin Beischel). Furthermore, if the owner of the property was not on site at the time of the search, it would be easy to provide evidence. This could be used to remove political dissidence without due process. At the time of its passage, the Patriot Act included many provisions to monitor public communications. Wandering wiretaps... in the middle of the paper... within themselves. The invasion of privacy, vague language and possible misuse of the provisions established by the Patriot Act make it an unethical violation of the fundamental rights of American citizenship. And even though many of the worst measures have ended, they have set a precedent. The American people and the American government have allowed their right to privacy to be violated, and it would be all too easy for this to happen again. Works Cited Kristin Beischel, Jessica Metz, Christine Rathbone. The PATRIOTA law. second document. April 6, 2012. .Larry Abramson, Maria Godoy. The Patriot Act: Key Controversies. and web. April 6, 2012. .Susan. Patriotic Law of the United States. March 20, 2006. web. April 6 2012. .