Overview

In a February 2001 survey of Americans, two contradictory views emerged: The first is that many Americans do not trust their government and its agencies very much. Yet the second strong strain of opinion is that Americans are quite willing to grant to law enforcement agencies and the FBI the right to intercept the email of criminal suspects, perhaps because Americans are concerned about crime, especially new ways to perpetrate crime using the Internet. While a majority of Americans approve of email interception to fight crime, only 21% of all Americans have heard about Carnivore, the FBI’s digital surveillance tool.