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USA PATRIOT Act of 2001

In plain terms. The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 substantially expanded federal surveillance and information-sharing authorities after the September 11 attacks, amending the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Foreign Intelligence Surv…

Last reviewedJune 7, 2026Version v1

In plain terms. The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 substantially expanded federal surveillance and information-sharing authorities after the September 11 attacks, amending the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and anti-money-laundering law. Its provisions reshaped the legal landscape for government access to electronic and financial records.

Citation. Pub. L. 107-56 (Oct. 26, 2001); 50 U.S.C. and 18 U.S.C. (various).