U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) speaks to reporters before a Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 12, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) FISA reauthorization heads to Biden’s desk after Senate passage A two-year extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act clears the chamber in a 60-34 vote Saturday. Apr 20, 2024 By Tim Starks
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., spoke to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on March 22, 2022. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) With a mysterious surveillance target identified, calls for Congress to change course Civil liberties advocates want to narrow the scope of an amendment to a controversial surveillance law. Apr 17, 2024 By Tim Starks
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) (C) talks with committee members Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) (L) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) while hearing testimony from former Special Counsel Robert Hur in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 12, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) House passes extension of expiring surveillance authorities Just days ago, lawmakers voted against even allowing a debate on an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Apr 12, 2024 By Tim Starks
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., listens during a press conference following a House GOP caucus meeting at the U.S Capitol on April 10, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images) Renewal of controversial surveillance law screeches to a halt in the House Lawmakers defeated a procedure allowing debate on extending Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Apr 10, 2024 By Tim Starks
U.S. House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) (L) and House Intelligence Ranking Member Jim Himes (D-CT) speak following a briefing with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan at the U.S. Capitol on February 15, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) House hurtles toward showdown over expiring surveillance tools At issue is Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which authorizes snooping that some consider vital to security and others view as an out-of-control privacy… Apr 9, 2024 By Tim Starks
Visitors walk past the U.S. Capitol on September 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) House-passed data privacy bill doesn’t thrill privacy groups A measure to address the sale of Americans’ data doesn’t go far enough to rein in the data broker industry, advocates argue. Mar 21, 2024 By Tim Starks
Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, speaks during a news conference on the House budget proposals, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on March 1, 2023. (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) Reform bill would overhaul controversial surveillance law A measure introduced on Tuesday puts civil libertarians on a collision course with the Biden administration. Nov 7, 2023 By Elias Groll
A pedestrian walks past a seal reading “Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation”, displayed on the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building, in Washington, DC, on August 15, 2022. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) Privacy watchdog recommends court approval for FBI searches of spy data The recommendations from the executive branch's privacy watchdog to reform Section 702 puts the panel at odds with the White House. Sep 28, 2023 By Tonya Riley
The UK parliament amended a controversial surveillance clause in a sweeping online safety bill. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images) US, UK strike data transfer agreement The European Commission approved a similar data transfer agreement with the United States in July. Sep 21, 2023 By Tonya Riley
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 04: Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines speaks (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Intelligence community to meet with civil liberties groups on controversial surveillance tool The clock is running down on reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act set to sunset later this year. Sep 6, 2023 By Tonya Riley