How /would/ a patriot act?

Court Narrows National Security Secrecy, Limits Oversight

A unanimous federal appeals court on Monday narrowed the scope of when telecommunications companies must keep the self-issued FBI search-warrant requests secret.But the court limited when it was necessary for judges to review a secrecy order.

The appeal concerned various counter-terrorism statutes and the 2006 USA Patriot Act, which allows the FBI to demand information concerning telephone and e-mail communications (among other things) without a warrant under a national security letter, or NSL. The law forbids companies to let a customer know that the bureau has sought information concerning their telephone and e-mail traffic.