FISA

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US Senate OKs Spying Bill, Despite Privacy Worries

Bipartisan vote gives thumbs-up to reauthorization of FISA surveillance program

(Newser) - Barely missing its midnight deadline, the Senate voted early Saturday to reauthorize a key US surveillance law after divisions over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans' data nearly forced the statute to lapse. The legislation approved 60-34 with bipartisan support would extend...

House Reauthorizes Controversial Spy Tool

But measure to extend FISA is for only 2 years, to satisfy GOP objections

(Newser) - The House passed a bill Friday to reauthorize a controversial US government surveillance tool without including broad restrictions on how the FBI uses the program to search for Americans' data. The bill, approved 273-147, now goes to the Senate, where the Wall Street Journal reports that it is expected to...

FBI Chief Warns of Potential Attack Amid FISA Fight

After Wednesday's chaos, House Republicans may now see a path forward

(Newser) - FBI Director Christopher Wray warned Thursday of "the potential for a coordinated attack" in the US, similar to the ISIS-K attack that killed more than 140 people in Russia last month. Wray told lawmakers he was "hard-pressed to think of a time [during my law enforcement career] where...

Johnson Faces Revolt Over Spy Tool Reauthorization

Trump urges Republicans to 'kill FISA'

(Newser) - 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. The legislative impasse followed an edict earlier in the day from Donald Trump to "kill" the measure. The procedural...

FBI Misused Database to Search Protesters, Donors

Agency says it was a misunderstanding after FISA criticism

(Newser) - The FBI could pay a price for misusing a digital surveillance tool—after employing it against crime victims, protesters, and even donors to a congressional candidate. The agency has acknowledged the problem and attributed it to a misunderstanding over guidance from Justice Department lawyers, the Washington Post reports. The issue...

Trump Talks Treason, Pardons in Fox Interview

He accuses the FBI of 'treasonous acts,' doesn't rule out pardon of Michael Flynn

(Newser) - President Trump called in to Sean Hannity's show on Fox News Wednesday and spoke for 45 minutes in his first interview since the conclusion of Robert Mueller's investigation. He didn't want to talk much about pardons, but he had plenty to say about the investigation, and some...

FBI Releases Top-Secret Wiretapping Request in Russia Probe

The FBI thought Russians were recruiting Carter Page

(Newser) - Thought Carter Page was just a kooky dream you had? Not so: The FBI released Saturday a redacted version of its FISA warrant to wiretap the former Trump campaign advisor, the New York Times reports. "This application targets Carter Page," the document reads. "The FBI believes Page...

Trump on the 'Memo': 'A Lot of People Should Be Ashamed'
Reax to the 'Memo':
'Headed Down a
Dangerous Path'
THE RUNDOWN
Feb 2, 2018 1:40 PM CST

Reax to the 'Memo': 'Headed Down a Dangerous Path'

Trump declassifies Nunes memorandum, frenetic spin on both sides ensues

(Newser) - Citing "extraordinary" circumstances, the much-anticipated GOP memo on alleged FBI surveillance abuse was given the all-clear Friday by the White House, which declassified the memo without redactions "in light of the significant public interest" in it, per a letter to House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes. At the...

Where Trump Got His Wiretap Allegations
How Trump Arrived
at His Wiretap Allegations
analysis
Mar 5, 2017 4:13 PM CST

How Trump Arrived at His Wiretap Allegations

Articles in Heat Street, BBC appear to be the key ones

(Newser) - So where did President Trump's bombshell accusation that his predecessor tapped his phones come from? The White House tells the Fact Checker blog at the Washington Post that he's relying on reports "from BBC, Heat Street, New York Times, Fox News, among others.” After an analysis,...

US, Internet Giants Cut Deal on Data Disclosure

Companies can say how often they give up your information

(Newser) - The government and leading Internet companies today announced a compromise that will allow those companies to reveal more information about how often they are ordered to turn over customer information to the government in national security investigations. The Justice Department reached agreements with Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook, and LinkedIn that...

Surveillance Court Digs in Over Planned NSA Reform

Obama's plan due Friday

(Newser) - President Obama is preparing to announce plans to rein in NSA intelligence-gathering on Friday, the New York Times reports. As expected , he'll tighten rules on telephone data collection, extend privacy protections to non-citizens, and urge the creation of an independent privacy advocate for the government's secret surveillance court....

Court: We Don't Rubber Stamp All NSA Requests ...

... Just 75.6% of them, top judge testifies

(Newser) - The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court doesn't just rubber stamp every request government spies send it, its top judge protests in a letter sent to Congress—just 75.6% of them. The Justice Department has previously revealed that the court approves 99% of NSA requests. But that number is misleading,...

Roberts Adds Rare Democrat to Secret Court

But José Cabranes is so conservative Bush almost appointed him

(Newser) - John Roberts has finally appointed another Democrat to the secretive FISA court that watches over the NSA's controversial surveillance programs—but it's security hawks, not civil libertarians, who should be celebrating. Though he was originally appointed by Bill Clinton in 2000, Judge José A. Cabranes leans conservative ideologically,...

NSA Has 'Backdoor' to Search US Emails

Senator Ron Wyden confirms latest Snowden leak

(Newser) - The NSA has a secret legal "backdoor" allowing it to search for emails and other information related to specific Americans without a warrant, the Guardian reports. It's the latest leak from Edward Snowden, and this time it comes with confirmation from Senate Intelligence Committee member and perpetual NSA...

Ex-Judge on FISA Court Points Out Flaw in System

James Robertson says FISA judges need to hear both sides on surveillance issues

(Newser) - The NSA gets legal permission for its broad surveillance programs from the secret court set up under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. And for the first time, one of the judges that sat on the court is coming forward to criticize the FISA process, reports the Guardian . Retired federal judge...

More Revelations: Feds Collected Bulk Email Data

Another 'Guardian' story hits, reveals more metadata collection

(Newser) - The revelations about the NSA's surveillance operations just keep coming. The Guardian has yet another piece revealing that the government spent a decade collecting bulk email data, in much the same way it collected bulk cellphone data . As with the cellphone data, the government collected metadata, meaning information on...

Chicago Teen May Be Test Case on US Surveillance

Accused bomb plotter might serve as constitutional challenge to expanded powers

(Newser) - Adel Daoud is a Chicago 19-year-old accused by the feds of trying to detonate a bomb outside a Chicago bar in 2012. His case, however, could serve as the first constitutional challenge to the government's sweeping surveillance techniques, reports the Washington Post . In a court filing yesterday, attorneys for...

NSA Gets to Decide Who's Foreign
NSA Gets to Decide Who's Foreign
Jun 21, 2013 7:58 AM CDT

NSA Gets to Decide Who's Foreign

New documents reveal rules on surveillance targets

(Newser) - For weeks, President Obama and other senior officials have touted the special FISA court as a safeguard on NSA surveillance. Well, the Guardian and Washington Post have obtained top-secret documents submitted to and approved by that court that outline the rules and limits placed on the program. How reassuring they...

Google Fighting Gag Order on Surveillance Data

Company wants secret FISA court to let it disclose more details

(Newser) - Google is going to court to try to bring more transparency to the government's surveillance program—and maybe to beef up its public image on privacy along the way. The company will file a petition with the top-secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court demanding that it be allowed to provide...

Snowden: I'm No Spy
 Snowden: I'm No Spy 
Q&A Session
Jun 17, 2013 11:53 AM CDT

Snowden: I'm No Spy

'I could be in China petting a Phoenix by now'

(Newser) - Edward Snowden held an online Q&A today over at the Guardian , to answer the public's burning questions about his NSA leaks. Here are some of the highlights that caught our eye:
  • Are you a Chinese spy ? "If I were a Chinese spy, why wouldn't I
...

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