Real News From The Blaze': DOJ and ACLU Clash Over Internet and Phone Surveillance

The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the Department of Justice along with other federal agencies to disclose its use of pen register and trace-and-track technology. These are surveillance tools that capture the email addresses contacted, phone numbers called and websites visited by a person. The DOJ is required by law to report its use annually, but has not done so since 2009. While neglecting to disclose this data, U.S. law enforcement is the global leader in information requests and content removal from companies like Twitter, YouTube and Google.

But is this monitoring by the U.S. Marshals Service and DOJ a key protection rather than dangerous invasion of privacy? The U.S. government argues that the surveillance technology is critical for law enforcement. The folks at "Real News" Monday debated whether the ACLU is on the right side of this one, or if law enforcement should be given very broad leeway in order to keep us safe. Matt Welch of Reason Magazine joined the panel for Monday's show. Watch a clip from the segment below: