"Although the FBI is legally forbidden from monitoring the communications of citizens who are not targets under Carnivore, the mere knowledge that government agents have the technical capacity to read e-mail messages will greatly increase the uncertainty of innocent citizens, " argued Dr. Jeffrey Rosen, a law professor at Georgetown University.

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It refers to legislation which allows for the monitoring of UK citizens' online and mobile communications.

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His fireside chats were so successful that the term has come to connote all warm, intimate, and informal communications between a leader and citizens.

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"I therefore call on the UK authorities to change their national laws to ensure that British citizens fully benefit from the safeguards set out in EU law concerning confidentiality of electronic communications, " said Ms Reding.

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