Increasingly, agents are also visiting the families, friends and employers of activists. The following information will help answer the most frequent questions asked by people and groups experiencing government scrutiny, and help them develop practical responses. Political intelligence is information collected by the government about individuals and groups. Files secured under the Freedom of Information Act disclose that government officials have long been interested in all forms of data. Information gathered by government agents ranges from the most personal data about sexual liaisons to estimates of the strength of groups opposing US policies.
Agents are usually lawyers, and they are always trained as investigators.
They have learned the power of persuasion, as well as the ability to make a person feel scared, guilty or impolite for refusing their requests for information. Even when agents do have warrants, you still don't have to answer their questions . The new guidelines permitted the same intrusive techniques the FBI used against organized crime. Political intelligence is gathered from public sources, such as newspapers and leaflets. It is also collected by informers who may be government employees or people recruited by them.