A secret U.S. federal appeals court has granted law enforcement officials expanded domestic spying powers, allowing them to conduct a broad range of electronic surveillance, including Internet monitoring and keystroke logging, in their efforts to track terrorism suspects.

The decision, released Monday, overturned a previous ruling by the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) made last May which rejected the U.S. government's efforts to expand its domestic snooping authority.

The move marks a decisive victory for law enforcement officials, but has sparked concern among civil libertarian groups that fear the new powers will infringe on citizens' rights.

The appeals court ruling essentially tears down barriers for federal law enforcement officials conducting surveillance operations, allowing them to listen in on phone calls, read e-mail and conduct secret searches.

In a press conference held in Washington, D.C. Monday Attorney General John Ashcroft hailed the decision saying that it was a "victory for liberty, safety and the security of the American people."

However, Ann Beeson, litigation director of the Technology and Liberty Program of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) had a very different reaction.

Beeson said in a statement that the ACLU was "deeply disappointed with the decision" and that it suggested that the secret appeals court "exists only to rubberstamp government applications for intrusive surveillance warrants."

The decision was the first ever made by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review since it was created under law in 1978 in a flurry of post-Watergate reforms.

The ACLU said that it is thinking about seeking an appeal of the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, but added that only the government could directly appeal it. Meanwhile, Ashcroft said that he is directing a series of actions in light of the decision, including implementing a computer system that will allow agents to submit surveillance applications from the field in real time to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters and to the Department of Justice for approval.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.