Category Archives: FISA

The Hill: Opinion: Bulk surveillance is the wrong way to approach security by Neema Singh Guliani & Jason Pye:

Forbes: What’s To Come As Government Surveillance Sunsets With 2017? by Frank Miniter:

NYTimes (Reuters): Congress Passes Stopgap Bill to Avoid Government Shutdown Against a Friday Deadline

Reason: Congress Mulls Passing Most Intrusive Federal Surveillance Bill Available (Update: Bill Is Dead ‘For Now’) by Scott Shackford This FISA renewal bill would essentially gut the Fourth Amendment.

Cato: FISA “Reform”: The Surveillance Fear Mongering Campaign Ramps Up by Patrick G. Eddington:

Defendant was indicted for attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization, and the government notified the defense that it also had FISA-gathered information. The court concludes that there was probable cause and the defense doesn’t get t see … Continue reading →

Techdirt: Things The Intelligence Community Is Cool With: Backdoor Searches, Skirting Reporting Requirements, Parallel Construction by Tim Cushing:

MSNBC: FBI Director seems to confirm use of FISA warrants in Russia Probe (video) No wonder the President wants a private CIA.

NYTimes: Warrantless Surveillance Can Continue Even if Law Expires, Officials Say by Charlie Savage: The Trump administration has decided that the National Security Agency and the F.B.I. can lawfully keep operating their warrantless surveillance program even if Congress fails to … Continue reading →

techdirt: Intelligence Director Says Gov’t Can Demand Encryption Backdoors Without Having To Run It By The FISA Court by Tim Cushing:

WaPo: House Intelligence Committee passes spy-bill renewal, but on party lines by Karoun Demirjian: The House Intelligence Committee passed a bill Friday to restrain the government’s access to data collected under a powerful authority to collect foreign intelligence on U.S. … Continue reading →

The Intercept: NSA Secretly Helped Convict Defendants in U.S. Courts, Classified Documents Reveal (Part 7) by Trevor Aaronson: By withholding evidence of warrantless spying, the government avoided a court challenge to controversial mass surveillance – which is now before Congress.

The Hill: Clock ticking down on NSA surveillance powers by Katie Bo Williams:

Klayman v. NSA finally ends in the District Court, the court finding no jurisdiction (despite prior injunctions) and because Congress ended the program sued over before the suit was even filed and then the NSA was ordered to retain data … Continue reading →

WaPo: Senate bill would impose new privacy limits on accessing NSA’s surveillance data by Karoun Demirjian and Ellen Nakashima:

Techdirt: Most Senate Intelligence Committee Members Are Fine With Domestic Surveillance By The NSA by Tim Cushing: The Senate Intelligence Committee has released its report [PDF] on its Section 702 reauthorization plan. Rather than adopt any serious reforms — like … Continue reading →

LATimes: Editorial: Fix a surveillance law to stop backdoor searches of Americans Congress is currently deciding: whether to let the National Security Agency continue to eavesdrop on the phone calls, emails and other electronic communications of foreigners located abroad. This … Continue reading →

EFF: House Judiciary Committee Forced Into Difficult Compromise On Surveillance Reform by David Ruiz

Reason: Showdown Looming over Reform of Federal Surveillance Laws by Scott Shackford: The House Judiciary Committee has advanced a bill that would provide Americans modest protections from unwarranted surveillance, but falls far short of what civil liberties and privacy groups … Continue reading →

The Hill: House Judiciary advances warrantless wiretapping reform bill by Katie Bo Williams: