President Biden signed a bill this weekend to reauthorize a controversial spy program under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). FISA Section 702, now extended for another two years, allows for the unauthorized collection of intelligence on foreign targets. While it focuses on the communications of targets outside the United States, including any exchanges with people inside the United States, that means the records of Americans could also be wiped clean by the collection.
The Senate vote on reauthorizing Section 702 is coming to an end.It was reportedly due to expire at midnight on Friday but was recently extended to April 2025 New York Times, so as not to lapse should disagreements over the proposed amendments persist. The Section 702 extension period was also shortened, from the previous five years to two years. Congress ultimately missed Friday’s deadline but passed it in a 60-34 vote, cbs news the report said. The White House issued a statement shortly after saying the president “will quickly sign the bill into law.”
Section 702, first signed into law in 2008 and updated twice, allows U.S. intelligence agencies to use data from internet and cell phone providers without obtaining a warrant to monitor the communications of foreign targets. It faced strong opposition from both sides because of its impact on Americans’ privacy. In a statement released over the weekend, ACLU senior policy adviser Kia Hamadanchy called the bill’s passage “very disappointing” and said the bill “provides the government with More secret ways to spy on us” — and little power to hold spy agencies accountable. “
“Senators recognized the threat this surveillance bill poses to our civil liberties and pushed for its passage regardless, pledging that they will try to address some of the most disturbing concerns in the near future,” Hamadanch said. “We plan to make sure we keep those promises. “
Updated, April 21, 2024, 1:21 pm ET: This report has been updated to include a statement from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
