FBI Made 'Inappropriate Use' of Foreign Surveillance Program To Spy on Americans

[Kamaji]

FBI Made 'Inappropriate Use' of Foreign Surveillance Program To Spy on Americans

A White House panel says the FBI's internal control over Section 702 databases are "insufficient to ensure compliance and earn the public's trust."

ERIC BOEHM
7.31.2023

A White House advisory board has recommended that Congress place new restrictions on the FBI's access to a foreign surveillance tool to prevent the bureau from using it to spy on Americans' electronic communications.

That surveillance program—authorized by Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)—was intended to track foreign spies and potential terrorists but has predictably morphed into a way for law enforcement agencies to get a warrantless peek at Americans' phone records, emails, and other electronic communications. In the report published Monday, the White House's Intelligence Advisory Board said the FBI's use of the databases created by Section 702 should be limited to investigations dealing with foreign intelligence—the same standard that is used at the other intelligence agencies with access to that data.

"FBI's use of Section 702 should be limited to foreign intelligence purposes only and FBI personnel should receive additional training on what foreign intelligence entails," the report recommends. The report says the FBI has made "inappropriate use of Section 702 authorities, specifically U.S. person queries."

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Those latest revelations show that "the Federal Bureau of Investigation simply cannot be trusted with conducting foreign intelligence queries on American persons," wrote Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which advocates for privacy in online communications, last week. "Regardless of the rules, or consistent FISC disapprovals, the FBI continues to act in a way that shows no regard for privacy and civil liberties."

The FBI's ongoing misuse of the Section 702 database has become a hot-button political topic, particularly among Republicans who are unhappy about the bureau's surveillance of former President Donald Trump's allies, including Page. A group of six Republican lawmakers led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R–Fla.) and including Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) have introduced a resolution calling for Congress to allow FISA to expire at the end of the year. Meanwhile, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have spoken out about the need for reforms to Section 702 in advance of the December deadline for the program's reauthorization.

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Source:  https://reason.com/2023/07/31/fbi-made-inappropriate-use-of-foreign-surveillance-program-to-spy-on-americans/

[Bigun]

FBI Made 'Inappropriate Use' of Foreign Surveillance Program To Spy on Americans

A White House panel says the FBI's internal control over Section 702 databases are "insufficient to ensure compliance and earn the public's trust."

ERIC BOEHM
7.31.2023

A White House advisory board has recommended that Congress place new restrictions on the FBI's access to a foreign surveillance tool to prevent the bureau from using it to spy on Americans' electronic communications.

That surveillance program—authorized by Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)—was intended to track foreign spies and potential terrorists but has predictably morphed into a way for law enforcement agencies to get a warrantless peek at Americans' phone records, emails, and other electronic communications. In the report published Monday, the White House's Intelligence Advisory Board said the FBI's use of the databases created by Section 702 should be limited to investigations dealing with foreign intelligence—the same standard that is used at the other intelligence agencies with access to that data.

"FBI's use of Section 702 should be limited to foreign intelligence purposes only and FBI personnel should receive additional training on what foreign intelligence entails," the report recommends. The report says the FBI has made "inappropriate use of Section 702 authorities, specifically U.S. person queries."

*  *  *

Those latest revelations show that "the Federal Bureau of Investigation simply cannot be trusted with conducting foreign intelligence queries on American persons," wrote Matthew Guariglia, a senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which advocates for privacy in online communications, last week. "Regardless of the rules, or consistent FISC disapprovals, the FBI continues to act in a way that shows no regard for privacy and civil liberties."

The FBI's ongoing misuse of the Section 702 database has become a hot-button political topic, particularly among Republicans who are unhappy about the bureau's surveillance of former President Donald Trump's allies, including Page. A group of six Republican lawmakers led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R–Fla.) and including Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) have introduced a resolution calling for Congress to allow FISA to expire at the end of the year. Meanwhile, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have spoken out about the need for reforms to Section 702 in advance of the December deadline for the program's reauthorization.

*  *  *

Source:  https://reason.com/2023/07/31/fbi-made-inappropriate-use-of-foreign-surveillance-program-to-spy-on-americans/

It's time to face the fact that the entire federal government has been weaponized against the people.