19 Recent Deep State Surveillance Abuse Revelations
As privacy-oriented lawmakers continue waging their war to rein in government surveillance abuse, there have been several startling revelations about the government’s abuse of surveillance laws.
A group of 54 bipartisan House lawmakers, encompassing both Democrats and Republicans, have made a joint appeal to House Speaker Mike Johnson. They request that he refrain from incorporating an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) into the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
This section, which allows intelligence agencies to collect communications of targeted foreigners, also poses the risk of surveilling American citizens’ private communications without a warrant, raising concerns about Fourth Amendment rights.
The initiative, led by Representatives Warren Davidson (R-OH) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), both known for their skepticism towards government surveillance, emphasizes the need for a standalone bill for any reauthorization of Section 702.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), in his statement, emphasized the importance of handling the reauthorization of this spying authority through a standalone bill, separate from the NDAA.
This collective stance comes in the wake of a Breitbart News report, which indicated that despite the Speaker’s office’s non-committal stance, there is speculation about a temporary extension of Section 702 in the NDAA.
Reports from both Politico and Punchbowl News suggest that lawmakers and aides involved in the process consider a temporary extension necessary.
These developments have sparked a debate on the balance between national security needs and the protection of civil liberties, particularly in the context of widespread digital surveillance.
The group of 54 lawmakers stands firm in their conviction that any reauthorization of Section 702 demands open debate and amendment, reflecting a growing concern about the implications of such legislation on the privacy rights of American citizens.
By Sean Moran
20 December 2023
As privacy-oriented lawmakers continue waging their war to rein in government surveillance abuse, there have been several startling revelations about the government’s abuse of surveillance laws.
FreedomWorks and Demand Progress have aggregated some of the most egregious instances of intelligence agencies abusing Americans’ privacy:
“[T]ens of thousands” of baseless searches “related to civil unrest” in a one-year period.
including 141 racial justice protestors and thousands of January 6 suspects.
Searches for individuals an NSA analyst had met on an online dating site, and a prospective tenant.
Searches for a state court judge who reported civil rights violations to the FBI.
Searches for places of worship that were intentionally hidden from oversight.
Searches for a member of HPSCI and a U.S. senator.
A “batch” search for 19,000 Congressional donors.
“Batch” searches that included current and former federal government officials, journalists, and political commentators.
Searches for people who came to the FBI to perform repairs.
Searches for victims who came to the FBI to report crimes.
Searches for business, religious, and community leaders who applied to participate in the FBI’s “Citizens Academy.”
Searches for college students participating in a “Collegiate Academy.”
Searches for family members and colleagues.
Searches for police officer candidates.
Searches for an individual employed by a defense attorney.
Searches for a wrongly accused American academic.
Searches based on a witness’s report that two men “of Middle Eastern descent” were loading cleaning supplies into a truck.
Searches for a local political party.
“Batch” searches for 1600 Americans “who had flown through an airport during a particular date range and were either traveling to or returning from a foreign country”
2,000 searches for “the names and dates of birth of individuals who were registered competitors in an athletic event.”
Conservatives, progressives, and libertarians aim to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a controversial surveillance law.
Section 702 is a law that allows intelligence agencies to collect communications of targeted foreigners.
It also may lead to targeted surveillance of Americans’ private communications, which privacy advocates consider a run around of the Fourth Amendment’s requirement for a warrant to search Americans’ communications.
The law will expire at the end of 2023.
Congress passed and fake pResident Joe Biden signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which contained a provision that would temporarily extend Section 702 through April.
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