Politics and the Arts
Eavesdropping and the Law: Bugging, Wire Tapping and the Constitution
American lawyer Telford Taylor, who was the Chief U.S. prosecutor at 12 of the 13 Nuremberg trials, speaks about the legal and ethical implications of wiretapping and other forms of electronic surveillance. This lecture was recorded in November 1974, a few months after the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Taylor references this “crisis of the presidency” at the start of the lecture–the topic of phone surveillance was particularly relevant during the Watergate investigation. Taylor then summarizes the history of the fourth amendment, which prevents “unreasonable search and seizure” by the government, and connects that legal history to the development of telecommunications. He reviews relevant cases that led to modern protections against unwarranted surveillance by law enforcement. The lecture is followed with questions from the audience.
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