Congress Renews Warrantless Surveillance—And Makes It Even Worse
55 years, 2 months ago

Congress Renews Warrantless Surveillance—And Makes It Even Worse

Wired  

In 2013, Edward Snowden revealed that the National Security Agency was legally collecting millions of Americans’ phone calls and electronic communications—including emails, Facebook messages, and browsing histories—without a warrant. The newly passed bill reauthorizes Section 702 for six years, long after President Trump’s first term in office will have expired. Warrantless Section 702 is intended to allow intelligence officials to electronically surveil non-US "persons reasonably believe to be located outside the United States” without a warrant. If two people discussed a terrorist’s email address in a text for example, their communications could previously get swept into an NSA database despite not being of specific intelligence interest themselves. “Not only does the bill say you have our blessing to collect communications that contain a target's email address, it also endorses collecting communications that merely contain a reference to the target,” says Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security program at New York University School of Law’s Brennan Center for Justice.

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History of this topic

Busted: Tulsi Gabbard attacked surveillance reforms she now claims to support
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Busted: Tulsi Gabbard attacked surveillance reforms she now claims to support

Raw Story  

Former Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard faces a major obstacle to getting confirmed as President-elect Donald Trump's director of national intelligence: numerous senators in both parties are worried about her longtime opposition to Section 702, the program that authorizes the intelligence community to monitor and gather electronic communications to intercept national security threats. Pressed on the matter by reporters last week, …

Congress Again Fails to Limit Scope of Spy Powers in New Defense Bill
55 years, 2 months ago

Congress Again Fails to Limit Scope of Spy Powers in New Defense Bill

Wired  

The US Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act on Wednesday after congressional leaders earlier this month stripped the bill of provisions designed to safeguard against excessive government surveillance. The Senate’s 85–14 vote cements a major expansion of a controversial US surveillance program, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Legal experts began issuing warnings last winter over Congress’s …

Top FBI Official Urges Agents to Use Warrantless Wiretaps on US Soil
55 years, 2 months ago

Top FBI Official Urges Agents to Use Warrantless Wiretaps on US Soil

Wired  

A top FBI official is encouraging employees to continue to investigate Americans using a warrantless foreign surveillance program in an effort to justify the bureau’s spy powers, according to an internal email obtained by WIRED. Obtained by WIRED, an April 20 email authored by FBI deputy director Paul Abbate to employees states: “To continue to demonstrate why tools like this …

The Next US President Will Have Troubling New Surveillance Powers
55 years, 2 months ago

The Next US President Will Have Troubling New Surveillance Powers

Wired  

The ability of the United States to intercept and store Americans’ text messages, calls, and emails in pursuit of foreign intelligence was not only extended but enhanced over the weekend in ways likely to remain enigmatic to the public for years to come. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, allows the US National Security Agency and …

Senate Passes Renewal Of Controversial Surveillance Law
11 months, 1 week ago

Senate Passes Renewal Of Controversial Surveillance Law

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING The Senate reauthorized an anti-terrorism surveillance law just after midnight Friday, overcoming objections from lawmakers worried the revamp did not do enough to protect Americans’ privacy. Civil liberties advocates warned that a technical amendment made in the House vastly expanded the scope of the law to new electronic communication service providers. Rep. Mike Turner, the chairman of …

Controversial surveillance law reauthorized by Senate hours before deadline
11 months, 1 week ago

Controversial surveillance law reauthorized by Senate hours before deadline

Salon  

The Senate passed reauthorization of the controversial surveillance law known as FISA just hours before a midnight expiration deadline Friday. It’s an important part of our national security toolkit and helps law enforcement stop terrorist attacks, drug trafficking, and violent extremism," Schumer said of the 60-34 vote. “I thank all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for …

House Passes Surveillance Law Revamp Without Warrant Requirement Privacy Advocates Wanted
11 months, 2 weeks ago

House Passes Surveillance Law Revamp Without Warrant Requirement Privacy Advocates Wanted

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING The House on Friday passed a bill to renew a controversial anti-terror foreign spying program over the objections of pro-privacy and civil liberties advocates. The House version of FISA that passed today is worse than the status quo for American citizens,” said Rep. Warren Davidson in a social media post after the vote. We had more Republicans …

House passes reauthorization of key US surveillance program after days of upheaval over changes
11 months, 2 weeks ago

House passes reauthorization of key US surveillance program after days of upheaval over changes

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The House voted Friday to reauthorize and reform a key U.S. government surveillance tool following a dramatic showdown on the floor over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans’ data. The legislation approved Friday would permit the U.S. government to collect, without a warrant, the communications of non-Americans located outside the …

House passes reauthorization of U.S. surveillance program after days of upheaval over changes
11 months, 2 weeks ago

House passes reauthorization of U.S. surveillance program after days of upheaval over changes

LA Times  

House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill this week as other GOP members of Congress stand behind him. The House passed a bill Friday to reauthorize and provide sweeping reforms of a key U.S. government surveillance tool, without including broad restrictions on how the FBI uses this crucial program to search for Americans’ data. House …

'Confused' Trump may have accidentally struck a win for American civil liberties: analyst
11 months, 2 weeks ago

'Confused' Trump may have accidentally struck a win for American civil liberties: analyst

Raw Story  

An ongoing false claim from former President Donald Trump about the Russia investigation may have had the unintended consequence of dismantling a longstanding surveillance program that was a threat to American civil liberties, analyst Hayes Brown wrote for MSNBC on Thursday. Specifically, Trump's "Spygate" claims that his campaign was illegally snooped on by federal authorities led him to demand the …

Conservative revolt in the House blocks effort to reauthorize a key US spy tool
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Conservative revolt in the House blocks effort to reauthorize a key US spy tool

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — A bill that would reauthorize a crucial national security surveillance program was blocked Wednesday by a conservative revolt, pushing the prospects of final passage into uncertainty amid a looming deadline. Hours before the vote, the Republican leader made a final push urging for passage, saying Congress must “address these abuses” without cutting off the surveillance program entirely. “It …

House to take up bill to reauthorize crucial US spy program as expiration date looms
11 months, 3 weeks ago

House to take up bill to reauthorize crucial US spy program as expiration date looms

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The House is set to consider a bill next week that would reauthorize a surveillance program that U.S. officials consider vital to national security but that critics say raises privacy concerns. Though the prospect for passage is uncertain because of scrambled political alliances and deep resistance from civil liberties advocates, senior administration officials said in a call with …

The U.S. Government’s Most Powerful Spying Tool Is Fighting for Its Life
1 year, 3 months ago

The U.S. Government’s Most Powerful Spying Tool Is Fighting for Its Life

Live Mint  

WASHINGTON—The Biden administration’s efforts to renew legislation that allows the U.S. to track the electronic communications of terrorists, spies and hackers overseas is facing an uphill battle amid increasing opposition from some members of both political parties and a looming end-of-year deadline. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is among the most powerful tools wielded by U.S. spy …

FBI chief calls for renewal of spy program to ensure public safety
1 year, 3 months ago

FBI chief calls for renewal of spy program to ensure public safety

Hindustan Times  

FBI Director Christopher Wray called Tuesday for the reauthorization of a U.S. government surveillance tool set to expire at the end of the year, warning Senate lawmakers that there would be “devastating” consequences for public safety if the program is allowed to lapse. The fact that Wray devoted a significant portion of his prepared remarks to the Senate Judiciary Committee …

FBI chief makes fresh pitch for spy program renewal and says it’d be ‘devastating’ if it lapsed
1 year, 3 months ago

FBI chief makes fresh pitch for spy program renewal and says it’d be ‘devastating’ if it lapsed

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — FBI Director Christopher Wray called Tuesday for the reauthorization of a U.S. government surveillance tool set to expire at the end of the year, warning Senate lawmakers that there would be “devastating” consequences for public safety if the program is allowed to lapse. You haven’t changed.” He added, “We have no reason to trust you because you haven’t …

A key US spy tool will lapse at year’s end unless Congress and the White House can cut a deal
1 year, 4 months ago

A key US spy tool will lapse at year’s end unless Congress and the White House can cut a deal

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — With less than two months until the end of the year, the Biden administration is running out of time to win the reauthorization of a spy program it says is vital to preventing terrorism, catching spies and disrupting cyberattacks. “Just imagine if some foreign terrorist organization overseas shifts its intentions and directs an operative here who’d been contingency …

The FBI should face new limits on its use of US foreign spy data, a key intelligence board says
1 year, 7 months ago

The FBI should face new limits on its use of US foreign spy data, a key intelligence board says

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The FBI should stop using a U.S. spy database of foreigners’ emails and other communications for investigating crimes that aren’t related to national security, a group of White House intelligence advisers recommended in a report released Monday. The President’s Intelligence Advisory Board’s findings come as the White House pushes Congress to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence …

Surveillance has caught hackers and fentanyl smugglers, White House says in promoting spying law
1 year, 9 months ago

Surveillance has caught hackers and fentanyl smugglers, White House says in promoting spying law

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The U.S. has used electronic surveillance programs to catch fentanyl smugglers and the hackers who temporarily shut down a major U.S. fuel pipeline, the White House said Tuesday as part of its push to have those programs renewed by Congress. While U.S. spy agencies are barred from targeting U.S. citizens or businesses, they can search Americans’ names in …

Democrats and Republicans are skeptical of US spying practices, an AP-NORC poll finds
1 year, 9 months ago

Democrats and Republicans are skeptical of US spying practices, an AP-NORC poll finds

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — As it pushes to renew a cornerstone law that authorizes major surveillance programs, the Biden administration faces an American public that’s broadly skeptical of common intelligence practices and of the need to sacrifice civil liberties for security. Section 702 authorizes U.S. spy agencies to collect large amounts of foreign communications for intelligence purposes ranging from stopping spies to …

Congress’ anger at FBI shapes surveillance program’s future
1 year, 11 months ago

Congress’ anger at FBI shapes surveillance program’s future

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Growing anger at the FBI from both parties in Congress has become a major hurdle for U.S. intelligence agencies fighting to keep their vast powers to collect foreign communications that often sweep up the phone calls and emails of Americans. Many blame problems with how the FBI’s special agents search for U.S. citizens using Section 702 — along …

Lawmaker says FBI wrongly sought surveillance info about him
2 years ago

Lawmaker says FBI wrongly sought surveillance info about him

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — A Republican lawmaker on Thursday accused the FBI of wrongly searching for his name in foreign surveillance data, underscoring the challenges ahead for U.S. officials trying to persuade Congress to renew their authorities to collect huge swaths of communications. The White House and U.S. intelligence officials are pressing Congress to renew Section 702, which expires at this year’s …

Lawmaker says FBI wrongly sought surveillance info about him
2 years ago

Lawmaker says FBI wrongly sought surveillance info about him

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The White House and U.S. intelligence officials are pressing Congress to renew Section 702, …

Why Biden Wants to Keep the Law That Allows NSA Mass Surveillance, and Republicans Want to Kill It
2 years ago

Why Biden Wants to Keep the Law That Allows NSA Mass Surveillance, and Republicans Want to Kill It

Slate  

A debate is erupting in Congress over whether to renew or repeal a law that officials say is vital to combating terrorism, cybercrime, and disruptive foreign espionage—but that others decry as a violation of Americans’ civil liberties. A key passage, the essence of Section 702, noted that “electronic surveillance” of an American would not be illegal—would not even be defined …

US officials make case for renewal of surveillance powers
2 years, 1 month ago

US officials make case for renewal of surveillance powers

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The program, which is under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance …

The FBI’s Most Controversial Surveillance Tool Is Under Threat
55 years, 2 months ago

The FBI’s Most Controversial Surveillance Tool Is Under Threat

Wired  

An existential fight over the US government’s ability to spy on its own citizens is brewing in Congress. New details about the FBI’s failures to comply with restrictions on the use of foreign intelligence for domestic crimes have emerged at a perilous time for the US intelligence community. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the so-called crown jewel …

Donald Trump signs bill renewing NSA’s internet surveillance programme
7 years, 2 months ago

Donald Trump signs bill renewing NSA’s internet surveillance programme

Live Mint  

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Friday said he signed into law a bill renewing the National Security Agency’s warrantless internet surveillance programme, sealing a defeat for digital privacy advocates. “Just signed 702 Bill to reauthorize foreign intelligence collection,” Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to legislation passed by the US Congress that extends Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance …

Democrats dance with danger: Expanding Trump's security state may bite them in the end
7 years, 2 months ago

Democrats dance with danger: Expanding Trump's security state may bite them in the end

Salon  

On Thursday, the Senate passed a six-year extension to renew a controversial set of invasive, and arguably unconstitutional, surveillance methods — allowing President Donald Trump's intelligence agencies to continue widespread surveillance measures. "You can use Section 702 to target foreigners abroad if they anything that could affect U.S. foreign affairs — whether that's an international business person, an environmental, political …

Spy laws Trump says were used to abuse campaign extended
7 years, 2 months ago

Spy laws Trump says were used to abuse campaign extended

Daily Mail  

The House acted to reauthorize a controversial spy law on Thursday that allows the federal government to keep tabs on foreigners suspected of committing crimes. The bill extending Section 702 of the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act passed 256-164 despite Trump's claim that the act may have been used to 'abuse and surveil' his presidential campaign. The House acted to reauthorize …

Sen. Rand Paul threatens to filibuster over FISA surveillance program
7 years, 2 months ago

Sen. Rand Paul threatens to filibuster over FISA surveillance program

CNN  

CNN — Sen. Rand Paul said he plans to filibuster the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act if necessary, as the House prepares to vote on a six-year extension of the program. He added, “I will filibuster and do whatever to stop that.” Paul said he would vote to reauthorize Section 702, however, if there are …

US House panel passes legislation aimed at overhauling certain aspects of NSA's internet surveillance programme
7 years, 4 months ago

US House panel passes legislation aimed at overhauling certain aspects of NSA's internet surveillance programme

Firstpost  

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows the NSA to collect digital communications from foreign suspects living outside the US. A US House panel on Wednesday passed legislation seeking to overhaul some aspects of the National Security Agency’s warrantless internet surveillance programme, overcoming criticism from civil liberties advocates that it did not include enough safeguards to protect Americans’ …

Halloween is over — but surveillance state boosters still want to scare us
7 years, 4 months ago

Halloween is over — but surveillance state boosters still want to scare us

Salon  

Halloween is now behind us, but perhaps the scariest thing facing America right now is a current Senate bill that would codify the numerous legal and constitutional violations routinely committed by the National Security Agency. Though he has on several occasions compared American intelligence agencies to Nazis and accused them of deliberately leaking information damaging to him, President Donald Trump …

US Senate panel approves legislation to renew the National Security Agency's internet surveillance program
7 years, 5 months ago

US Senate panel approves legislation to renew the National Security Agency's internet surveillance program

Firstpost  

Senators introduced legislation that would require the NSA to obtain a warrant for queries of data on Americans under an internet surveillance program. A Senate panel on 24 October approved legislation to renew the National Security Agency’s internet surveillance program, while other lawmakers pushed a competing measure seeking to end the ability to search for data on Americans without a …

US government would need warrants to search Americans' communications under new bill
7 years, 5 months ago

US government would need warrants to search Americans' communications under new bill

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Newly unveiled legislation would impose new controls on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence …

US lawmakers unveil a new legislation to install additional privacy protection; limit internet surveillance
7 years, 5 months ago

US lawmakers unveil a new legislation to install additional privacy protection; limit internet surveillance

Firstpost  

It allows US intelligence agencies to eavesdrop on and store vast amounts of digital communications from foreign suspects living outside the United States. A bipartisan group of US lawmakers unveiled legislation on Wednesday that would overhaul aspects of the National Security Agency’s warrantless internet surveillance program in an effort to install additional privacy protections. The legislation would also renew the …

Editorial: The U.S. government is still spying on Americans. Here are some fixes for that
7 years, 9 months ago

Editorial: The U.S. government is still spying on Americans. Here are some fixes for that

LA Times  

FBI acting director Andrew McCabe, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, and National Security Agency director Adm. Mike Rogers are seated during a hearing about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in Washington, on June 7. The Trump administration is urgently lobbying Congress to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the …

NSA decides to stop snooping on Americans
7 years, 11 months ago

NSA decides to stop snooping on Americans

Business Standard  

The National Security Agency has announced it would end its controversial practice of sweeping up any email or text message an American exchanges with someone overseas that makes reference to a real target of NSA surveillance. "NSA will no longer collect certain internet communications that merely mention a foreign intelligence target," it said in a statement. The NSA, the country's …

Don't Buy the Latest Trump Surveillance Hype
8 years ago

Don't Buy the Latest Trump Surveillance Hype

Wired  

Then Nunes seemed to confirm FISA’s role in the communications. Fold in that the surveillance Nunes brought to light today allegedly primarily took place during Trump’s transition months—a time when he and his team would be in touch with their counterparts around the world—and the revelation starts to look less like a scandal and more like common sense. Elizabeth Goitein, …

U.S. Spy Chief Considers Disclosing Number Of Americans Surveilled Online
8 years, 11 months ago

U.S. Spy Chief Considers Disclosing Number Of Americans Surveilled Online

NPR  

U.S. Spy Chief Considers Disclosing Number Of Americans Surveilled Online Enlarge this image toggle caption Andrew Harnik/AP Andrew Harnik/AP National Intelligence Director James Clapper said Monday that he is looking at "several options" to make public the number of U.S. citizens caught up in online surveillance of foreign targets by the U.S. government. PRISM "gathers messaging data from Alphabet Inc's …

As Congress Haggles Over Patriot Act, We Answer 6 Basic Questions
9 years, 10 months ago

As Congress Haggles Over Patriot Act, We Answer 6 Basic Questions

NPR  

As Congress Haggles Over Patriot Act, We Answer 6 Basic Questions Enlarge this image toggle caption Patrick Semansky/AP Patrick Semansky/AP The rest of the month is setting up to be pretty dramatic in the Senate. A key section of the Patriot Act — the part of law the White House uses to conduct mass surveillance on the call records of …

Privacy board: NSA's Internet monitoring is legal
10 years, 8 months ago

Privacy board: NSA's Internet monitoring is legal

Firstpost  

The National Security Agency programs that collect huge volumes of Internet data within the United States pass are constitutional and employ “reasonable” safeguards designed to protect the rights of Americans, an independent privacy and civil liberties board has found. In a report released Tuesday night, the bipartisan, five-member Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, appointed by President Barack Obama, largely …

Report: Oversight Board Finds Little Wrong With NSA Surveillance Program
10 years, 8 months ago

Report: Oversight Board Finds Little Wrong With NSA Surveillance Program

Wired  

A privacy and civil liberties board that earlier this year called on the government to halt its program of collecting bulk phone metadata found little wrong with a separate bulk-collection program that involves collecting internet communications data from service providers and from the internet's basic infrastructure. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board concluded, in its long-awaited report released Tuesday …

US intelligence chiefs open to new surveillance controls
11 years, 6 months ago

US intelligence chiefs open to new surveillance controls

Firstpost  

U.S. lawmakers and intelligence chiefs, facing an outcry over the government’s collection of personal communications data, said on Thursday they were open to measures tightening oversight of the government’s sweeping electronic eavesdropping programs. At a hearing on how to change the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to balance security and privacy concerns, the Senate Intelligence Committee unveiled provisions of proposed legislation …

House to Vote on Repealing NSA Dragnet Phone Surveillance
11 years, 8 months ago

House to Vote on Repealing NSA Dragnet Phone Surveillance

Wired  

The House is expected to vote later this week on an amendment to a roughly $600 billion defense spending package that would repeal authorization for the National Security Agency's dragnet collection of phone call metadata in the United States. The newspaper posted a leaked copy of a top secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court opinion requiring Verizon Business to provide the …

President And Congress Extend FISA Wiretapping Act To 2017 [Updated]
12 years, 3 months ago

President And Congress Extend FISA Wiretapping Act To 2017 [Updated]

NPR  

President And Congress Extend FISA Wiretapping Act To 2017 Enlarge this image toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP J. Scott Applewhite/AP The FISA Amendments Act has been approved for another five years, as the Senate voted to renew the law that grants the government wide surveillance authority. Our original post continues: The controversial bill, which allows federal agencies to eavesdrop on …

Bush urges US congress to pass surveillance bill-英语点津
17 years, 1 month ago

Bush urges US congress to pass surveillance bill-英语点津

China Daily  

Bush urges US congress to pass surveillance bill Download President Bush says the House of Representatives risks reopening a dangerous gap in intelligence gathering by failing to pass a law expanding warrantless surveillance. President Bush wants retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that complied with government requests to monitor telephone and computer traffic between the United States and suspected terrorists abroad …

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