whiskey0

That statute provides them with the authority to prosecute violations of the 'law of nations', for a tort only. The biggest issue is yes, the FBI exploit this to conduct surveillance on other countries. The problem is, who is going to take the 'FBI' to court? Who is legally (and economically) stronger than the United States of America, and have the balls to actually do anything about it? People throw their hands up in the air saying what the FBI is doing is immoral, and then it's all brushed under the rug. Wot do?

As much as I'd like to agree with you, @goodtofufriday is right. The Alien Tort Statute is a statute under American legislation that provides America and any other country operating under the 'law of nations' with the legal authority to prosecute a foreign sovereign citizen, when it breach of this 'law of nations'. America do have the legal authority to hear the original jurisdiction of cases involving foreign citizens, especially when the laws that have been broken are internationally recognized. As much as I am pro-privacy, legal bodies such as the FBI are doing a good thing when it comes to presenting, foreign citizens in breach of international legislation to national district courts.