WASHINGTON, DC - Barack Obama initially said that he would protect civil liberties, which is why many were disappointed when he voted for the FISA Amendments Act of 2008. That act increased the surveillance power of the government and ensured that larger telecom companies would not be held liable for wiretapping conducted during the George W. Bush administration. Last week, Congress voted to once again authorize some of the provisions of the USA Patriot Act. The vote reauthorizes the provisions without adding the recommended safeguards for personal privacy. Opponents note that the vote allows the government to access detailed information about customers from telecommunications companies, essentially offering additional surveillance powers to government agencies.

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PARIS, FRANCE – In movies, PIs often do surveillance work by peeking through holes in newspapers. A new French discovery, however, may eventually change the way real-life PIs do surveillance. A new discovery has allowed researchers a way to possibly see through opaque objects. Researchers have analyzed the way light passes through a zinc oxide layer and believe the data may help them eventually create a light beam that can pass through solid objects and emerge on the other side.

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CHICAGO, IL – The Chicago Police department has announced plans to possibly update its network of police cameras. The department hopes to acquire cameras which have a wider range, better picture quality and which are more inconspicuous. Currently, cameras have blinking blue lights, which alert criminals when they are under surveillance and diminish the effectiveness of the camera network at capturing illegal activity. The current cameras have been in place since 2003. Representatives for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois have expressed concerns about a possible expanding network of covert surveillance cameras.

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ROBBINSVILLE, NJ – Kevin Boyle, a New Jersey high school student, was accused by the State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) of illegal practices. Boyle fired back, accusing the NJSIAA of hiring a PI who used illegal tactics to track him down. The NJSIAA PI allegedly secretly videotaped teens (without consent), misrepresented himself as an insurance-claims adjuster, and gained access to a gymnasium where he was not allowed to be. The NJSIAA has countered by noting that such practices are typical and standard of PIs doing undercover work.

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PITTSBURGH, PA – High-profile cases of spousal infidelity in the news, notably the Tiger Woods case, have combined with the usual increase in PI business brought out by Valentine’s Day, many PIs are reporting. Some PI firms, such as Empire Investigations in Pittsburgh, are reporting a 15% jump in business. PI firms are using newer surveillance technology on infidelity cases, which decreases the chances of getting caught by a client’s spouse.

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CHARLESTON, WV – State Senator Jeffrey Kessler, who is running for Governor of West Virginia, wants to see gun busts illegal. Kessler objects to the busts organized by Mayor Bloomberg out of state. Now, Kessler is seeking a bill which would make it illegal for Bloomberg to hire PIs in order to catch illegal gun sellers in West Virginia. The bill would make it illegal for PIs or anyone else to trick a gun dealer into making an illegal gun sale. Famously, Bloomberg has hired PIs over the past two years to run surveillance work on illegal gun dealers across a few states.

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ORANGE COUNTY, NY – A man was accused by his wife of stalking her after he hired a PI to conduct surveillance work and uncovered that the wife was having an affair. Family Court Judge Debra J. Kiedaisch, however, sided with the man and deemed that surveillance and PI work can be a legitimate part of a divorce case. In this case, the judge ruled hiring a PI is for a “proper and legitimate purpose.”

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ORANGE COUNTY, CA – Many PIs across California and across the nation are getting ready for a seasonal spike in surveillance and cheating spouse cases. According to many PIs and experts, the time leading up to Valentine’s Day is a busy time for most PIs as suspicious spouses look for answers. This year, some experts claim the high-profile cheating scandal involving Tiger Woods may mean even more business for PIs. PI Tom Martin of Martin Investigative Services notes that he gets up to 15 new clients a week, but in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s day, he might get 25 calls a day. PIs like Martin may need to take on additional employees and surveillance equipment to accommodate increased demand at this time of year.

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LONDON, ENGLAND – British filmmaker David Bond is trying to determine how far surveillance has gone in our society. His latest project, Erasing David, is his attempt to outwit a group of PIs. Trying to determine whether privacy is even a reality any more, Bond challenged some top British PIs to track him using only public domain information. Considering that the average British citizen pops up on at least one of the four million public surveillance cameras in England daily and is registered on over 700 databases, living off the grid might be challenging.

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MIAMI, FL – Club surveillance videos show model Paula Sladewski leaving a popular nightclub, possibly followed by a man. PIs hired by Sladewski’s boyfriend and local police are looking closely at the surveillance footage to get more clues in the murder. Surveillance shows Sladewski leaving Club Space at 7:20 am on January 3, 2010. Sladewski’s burned body was found in a trash bin later that same day.

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