When did government wiretapping begin?
As soon as the use of telephones became widespread, in the 1920s. J. Edgar Hoover, the newly named head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was the first to make use of wiretaps and bugs (planted listening devices), targeting bootleggers during Prohibition. At the time, several states had outlawed wiretaps, but there was no federal law against them. The U.S. Supreme Court said the wiretaps and bugs were constitutional as long as agents didn
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Democrats: How to rebuild a damaged brandFeature Trump's approval rating is sinking, but so is the Democratic brand
-
Unraveling autismFeature RFK Jr. has vowed to find the root cause of the 'autism epidemic' in months. Scientists have doubts.
-
'Two dolls': Can Trump sell Americans on austerity?Feature Trump's tariffs may be threatening holiday shelves but they've handed Democrats a 'huge gift'
