2,376 wiretaps were authorized in the United States (U.S.) in 2009 for the purpose of rooting out criminal activity. The average cost per wiretap order was $52,200 U.S. Dollars (USD). Every request for a wiretap was approved that year — the federal government requested 663 and 24 of the U.S. states requested the remaining 1,713.

More Big Brother facts:

• 96% of the taps were on mobile phones, listening to drug chatter.


• The two nosiest states were California, with 425 wiretaps, and New York, with 402.


• The $52,200 resulted in 678 convictions out of 4,537 arrests.


• 19% of the overheard calls were incriminating.

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