Comey: 'There is no such thing as absolute privacy in America'
Comey: 'There is no such thing as absolute privacy in
America'
But, he said, Americans "have a reasonable
expectation of privacy"
By Mary Kay Mallonee and Eugene Scott, CNN
Updated 3:31 PM ET, Wed March 8, 2017
(CNN)FBI Director James Comey warned Wednesday that
Americans should not have expectations of "absolute privacy," adding
that he planned to finish his term leading the FBI.
"There is no such thing as absolute privacy in
America; there is no place outside of judicial reach," Comey said at a
Boston College conference on cybersecurity. He made the remark as he discussed
the rise of encryption since 2013 disclosures by former National Security
Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed sensitive US spy practices.
"Even our communications with our spouses, with our
clergy members, with our attorneys are not absolutely private in America,"
Comey added. "In appropriate circumstances, a judge can compel any one of
us to testify in court about those very private communications."
But, he also said Americans "have a reasonable
expectation of privacy in our homes, in our cars, in our devices.
"It is a vital part of being an American. The
government cannot invade our privacy without good reason, reviewable in
court," Comey continued.
In the last four months of 2016, the FBI lawfully gained
access to 2,800 devices recovered in criminal, terrorism and counterintelligence
investigations and the FBI was unable to open 43% of those devices, Comey said.
Americans' desire for privacy and security should never
be viewed as incompatible, he said.
"We all value privacy. We all value security. We
should never have to sacrifice one for the other," Comey said. "Our
founders struck a bargain that is at the center of this amazing country of ours
and has been for over two centuries."
Comey's leadership of the FBI has been marked by
controversy in the wake of the bureau's handling of the investigation into
Hillary Clinton's email controversy and President Donald Trump's baseless
accusations that President Barack Obama ordered the wiretapping of phones at
Trump Tower.
He did not address the wiretapping claim nor WikiLeaks'
recent claim that it obtained internal CIA documents.
Comey did, however, say he plans to finish out his
10-year term.
"You're stuck with me for about another 6 1/2 years,
and so I'd love to be invited back again," he said.
CNN's Casey Riddle contributed to this report.
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