The Senate passes a reauthorization of a key US surveillance program just after a midnight deadline

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barely missing its midnight deadline, the Senate voted early Saturday to reauthorize a key U.S. 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 for two years the program known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to become law. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden "will swiftly sign the bill."

“In the nick of time, we are reauthorizing FISA right before it expires at midnight,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said when voting on final passage began 15 minutes before the deadline. “All day long, we persisted and we persisted in trying to reach a breakthrough and in the end, we have succeeded.”

U.S. officials have said the surveillance tool, first authorized in 2008 and renewed several times since then, is crucial in disrupting terror attacks, cyber intrusions, and foreign espionage and has also produced intelligence that the U.S. has relied on for specific operations, such as the 2022 killing of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/senate-passes-reauthorization-key-us-044701487.html

[mahina]

1. That is pretty confusing. It says it was passed just after the deadline and that it missed the deadline.

And that it was passed in the nick of time.

Can anybody else make sense out of that?

I see this bit: "Though the spy program was technically set to expire at midnight, the Biden administration had said it expected its authority to collect intelligence to remain operational for at least another year, thanks to an opinion earlier this month from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which receives surveillance applications."

Thanks for the post OP.

Anyway it's good.

[Autumn]

2. Of course they did.

Bipartisanship is a thing of fucking beauty to use unrestricted against the people.

Unless it's something that is for the people then it become such a beautiful unicorn.

[WarGamer]

3. It's a pity...

https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/five-things-to-know-about-nsa-mass-surveillance-and-the-coming-fight-in-congress

Sometimes I'm gobsmacked by this movement to the right...

One of the most sweeping surveillance statutes ever enacted by Congress is set to expire at the end of this year — creating an important opportunity to rein in America’s sprawling surveillance state.

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act permits the U.S. government to engage in mass, warrantless surveillance of Americans’ international communications, including phone calls, texts, emails, social media messages, and web browsing. The government claims to be pursuing vaguely defined foreign intelligence “targets,” but its targets need not be spies, terrorists, or criminals. They can be virtually any foreigner abroad: journalists, academic researchers, scientists, or businesspeople. And in the course of this surveillance, the government casts a wide net that ensnares the communications of ordinary Americans on a massive scale — in violation of our constitutional rights.

As Congress debates the reauthorization of Section 702, it’s vital that we tell our representatives in Congress that we want an end to warrantless mass surveillance. Here’s what you need to know to follow the debate and speak up for your right to privacy.

[Mountainguy]

4. Good

If you are actually worried about this then you're either a terrorist or incredibly paranoid.

[cbabe]

5. Not exactly. One of those 'first they came for'

taking of our rights.

Remembering cointelpro.

US Consitution fourth amendment: secure in our persons etc.

[Mountainguy]

6. Nothing in 702 violates the 4th amendment

[cbabe]

7. Interesting. So listening and watching you everywhere all the time is ok?

Sure hope you’re not on any list.

https://www.reuters.com › world › us › fbi-misused-intelligence-database-278000-searches-court-says-2023-05-19

FBI misused intelligence database in 278,000 searches, court says

May 19, 2023A U.S. court found that the FBI improperly searched for information in a U.S. database of foreign intelligence

[Mountainguy]

8. If you think it is unconstitutional

Then sue and let the court decide.

[cbabe]

9. Someone probably will.

[Mountainguy]

10. Its been 16 years

[cbabe]

11. Time is not the issue. Longstanding legislation

have been challenged and changed. See Dred Scott and Dobbs, for examples.

https://prospect.org/politics/2024-04-12-reformers-narrowly-lose-fisa-reform-patriot-act-2.0/

Reformers Narrowly Lose on FISA Reform, Now Get Patriot Act 2.0
A bad day for civil liberties in the House of Representatives

BY LUKE GOLDSTEIN APRIL 12, 2024

…

The bill, which is intended to retain a tool for intelligence on foreign subjects, would expand the scope of backdoor searches on U.S. persons by allowing the government to target immigrants traveling to the U.S., and seize a broad range of companies’ information on Americans, including data centers, commercial real estate landlords, and other communication equipment operators. Members of Congress, however, will get a special exemption from some of Big Brother’s all-seeing eye because of a provision stating that politicians must be notified when a search query is conducted on them without a warrant, unlike the rest of the public.

…

According to sources, House leadership promised a vote next week on the Fourth Amendment Is Not for Sale Act, which would ban data broker purchases that circumvent the Fourth Amendment. However, that would be a stand-alone vote that, even if passed, would not guarantee a companion vote in the Senate. So it may be mostly symbolic.

…more… who supported warrants and who flipped to no…