wiretap

A wiretap is a method used to acquire the contents of a communication by means of an electronic device. It is one of several possible means to obtain information through electronic surveillance.

Congress passed the Wiretap Act, or Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, to regulate the use of wiretapping. The Wiretap Act prohibits unauthorized or non-consensual interception of communications without proper authorization. It establishes a process for acquiring authorization through warrants and governs the use of intercepted communications in investigations and by the police.