The White House Acknowledges the Pressure on Section 702, But Much More Reform is Needed
Electronic Frontier FoundationMAY 2023
The recommendations from the PIAB only cover a fraction of the millions of backdoor searches the FBI conducts illegally on US citizens, thanks to Section 702. Politicians from both sides of the aisle have threatened to let the program lapse entirely if the FBI doesn't clean up its act, as the people grow fed up with warrantless surveillance. The government needs to respect the civil liberties of the American people.
While these suggestions are welcome news, they don't change the fact that Section 702 has been an invaluable tool to keep Americans safe from harm. Information gathered under the provision has averted terrorist attacks and kept America a step ahead of adversaries. Indeed, most of the information in the President's Daily Briefing comes from Section 702, and agency mistakes shouldn't be allowed to discredit the program entirely.