Project for Privacy and Surveillance Accountability (PPSA)
  • Issues
  • Solutions
  • SCORECARD
    • Congressional Scorecard Rubric
  • News
  • About
  • TAKE ACTION
    • Section 702 Reform
    • PRESS Act
    • DONATE
  • Issues
  • Solutions
  • SCORECARD
    • Congressional Scorecard Rubric
  • News
  • About
  • TAKE ACTION
    • Section 702 Reform
    • PRESS Act
    • DONATE

 NEWS & UPDATES

Reps. Stewart, LaHood Warn IC Against Taking Ukraine Crisis as a License for Domestic Surveillance

3/18/2022

 
Picture
Russia’s attack on Ukraine – and the resulting international tension – is sure to enable a host of sweeping new surveillance programs for U.S. intelligence agencies. Given the threats from Russia – as well as from the People’s Republic of China and Iran – it is clear such surveillance is needed. But as we have seen time and again, most notably in the aftermath of 9/11, that when the Intelligence Community gets a grant of wide, new authorities against foreign actors, somehow it is the constitutional rights of Americans that wind up getting trampled.
 
It is refreshing, then, that in this fevered environment some Members of Congress continue to press the IC for vigilance against domestic abuses.
 
In a recent House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on “worldwide threats,” Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT) made an impassioned statement before Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and CIA Director Nicholas Burns. He said that we “should never turn the immense power of the CIA or the immense power of the NSA on American persons.”
 
Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill) reminded Director Wray about a declassified rebuke by a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge ruling that the FBI had abused Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Dozens of queries were “conducted in support of predicated criminal investigations … This includes purely domestic activities like healthcare fraud, bribery and public corruption that were outside the norms of Section 702.”
 
To his credit, this time Director Wray did not repeat his unfortunate response in light of the FBI Inspector General’s findings in the Carter Page affair. He did not say, “thanks for the constructive criticism.” He focused on subsequent changes to systems, training, policies, audits, and other safeguards, promising to continue to do better.

Statements like these are reassuring – up to a point. Recent revelations that both the CIA and the Department of Homeland Security have been conducting bulk surveillance of Americans’ financial data show the potential for continuing abuses.
 
Leaders like Reps. Stewart and LaHood remind us that we cannot simply trust the IC to strike the right balance between protecting the American people and violating their rights. Now, more than ever, we need Congressional oversight of the IC.

Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All
    2022 Year In Review
    2023 Year In Review
    2024 Year In Review
    Analysis
    Artificial Intelligence (AI)
    Call To Action
    Congress
    Congressional Hearings
    Congressional Unmasking
    Court Appeals
    Court Hearings
    Court Rulings
    Digital Privacy
    Domestic Surveillance
    Facial Recognition
    FISA
    FISA Reform
    FOIA Requests
    Foreign Surveillance
    Fourth Amendment
    Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act
    Government Surveillance
    Government Surveillance Reform Act (GSRA)
    Insights
    In The Media
    Lawsuits
    Legal
    Legislation
    Letters To Congress
    NDO Fairness Act
    News
    Opinion
    Podcast
    PPSA Amicus Briefs
    Private Data Brokers
    Protect Liberty Act (PLEWSA)
    Saving Privacy Act
    SCOTUS
    SCOTUS Rulings
    Section 702
    Spyware
    Stingrays
    Surveillance Issues
    Surveillance Technology
    The GSRA
    The SAFE Act
    Warrantless Searches
    Watching The Watchers

    RSS Feed

FOLLOW PPSA: 
© COPYRIGHT 2024. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | PRIVACY STATEMENT
Photo from coffee-rank