Some Lawmakers Say Patriot Act Threatens Internet Speech

Some lawmakers and civil libertarians are attacking the 6-month-old Patriot Act, saying it has "created the danger that Americans will be afraid to communicate freely over the Internet." Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., and Rep. Patsy Mink, D-Hi., along with the Free Expression Network -- a coalition of organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Privacy Information Center -- blasted the act, saying it risks becoming an "unwise and unnecessary" restriction on free speech.