What Can the Government Do?

When the government wants to record or monitor your private communications as they happen, it has three basic options, all of which we'll cover in-depth: it can install a hidden microphone or "bug" to eavesdrop on your conversation; it can install a "wiretap" to capture the content of your phone or Internet communications as they happen; or it can install a "pen register" and a "trap and trace device" to capture dialing and routing information indicating who you communicate with and when. In this section, we'll lay out the legal rules for when the government can conduct these types of surveillance, and look at some statistics to help you gauge the risk of having your communications targeted.

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