After September 11th, 2001, president George W. Bush rushed the Patriot Act into effect. This is arguably where the mass surveillance programs in America started. The Patriot Act allowed the FBI and other agencies permission to wire tap suspected terrorists without approval from a judge through a warrant. This was intended to target "lone wolf" terrorists that don't work with an established group of terrorists such as Al Qaeda.
Since the FBI could target individuals without going through the warrant process, suspect inquiries happened more rapidly. Yet wire tapping phones isn't the only right the new Patriot Act gave these government agencies. It also gave the right to inspect and analyze phone records, computer records, banking history, and credit history. Yet arguably, the most obtrusive result of this program is the right to "Sneak and Peek" searches. These searches allow government agents with search warrants to "enter a house, apartment or office when the occupant is away, search through his/her property and take photos even seize property without telling the owner until later.
The Patriot Act, in effect, set the stage for more even more obtrusive measures to be enabled by the American government. The Patriot Act is still in effect today even though it was put in effect as an emergency response to the terror attacks of 2001.
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