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United States Government Privacy

House Votes To Extend -- and Expand -- a Major US Spy Program (wired.com) 85

Posted by BeauHD from the red-light-green-light dept.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: A controversial US wiretap program days from expiration cleared a major hurdle on its way to being reauthorized. After months of delays, false starts, and interventions by lawmakers working to preserve and expand the US intelligence community's spy powers, the House of Representatives voted on Friday to extend Section 702 (PDF) of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) for two years. Legislation extending the program -- controversial for being abused by the government -- passed in the House in a 273-147 vote. The Senate has yet to pass its own bill.

Section 702 permits the US government to wiretap communications between Americans and foreigners overseas. Hundreds of millions of calls, texts, and emails are intercepted by government spies each with the "compelled assistance" of US communications providers. The government may strictly target foreigners believed to possess "foreign intelligence information," but it also eavesdrops on the conversations of an untold number of Americans each year. (The government claims it is impossible to determine how many Americans get swept up by the program.) The government argues that Americans are not themselves being targeted and thus the wiretaps are legal. Nevertheless, their calls, texts, and emails may be stored by the government for years, and can later be accessed by law enforcement without a judge's permission. The House bill also dramatically expands the statutory definition for communication service providers, something FISA experts, including Marc Zwillinger -- one of the few people to advise the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) -- have publicly warned against.

The FBI's track record of abusing the program kicked off a rare detente last fall between progressive Democrats and pro-Trump Republicans -- both bothered equally by the FBI's targeting of activists, journalists, anda sitting member of Congress. But in a major victory for the Biden administration, House members voted down an amendment earlier in the day that would've imposed new warrant requirements on federal agencies accessing Americans' 702 data. The warrant amendment was passed earlier this year by the House Judiciary Committee, whose long-held jurisdiction over FISA has been challenged by friends of the intelligence community. Analysis by the Brennan Center this week found that 80 percent of the base text of the FISA reauthorization bill had been authored by intelligence committee members.
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House Votes To Extend -- and Expand -- a Major US Spy Program More

House Votes To Extend -- and Expand -- a Major US Spy Program

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  • Thanks Biden (Score:5, Insightful)

    by christoban ( 3028573 ) on Friday April 12, 2024 @10:50PM (#64390872)

    "But in a major victory for the Biden administration, House members voted down an amendment earlier in the day that would've imposed new warrant requirements on federal agencies accessing Americans' 702 data. "

    Do you want four more years of Trump? Because THIS is how you get four more years of Trump!

    • Re: Thanks Biden (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Grokew ( 8384065 ) on Friday April 12, 2024 @11:07PM (#64390888)
      They don't care. We see red vs blue, they see purple. We are the victims of their weaponized incompetence.

    • Re:Thanks Biden (Score:4, Funny)

      by ZipNada ( 10152669 ) on Friday April 12, 2024 @11:13PM (#64390894)

      I'll be interested to see what the Senate bill looks like.

      • Not really. It'll be more or less the same. Maybe fix up a few minor grammar errors in the House bill and be a little bit worse in a "hold my beer" way.

    • Re:Thanks Biden (Score:5, Informative)

      by ShanghaiBill ( 739463 ) on Friday April 12, 2024 @11:23PM (#64390906)

      Because THIS is how you get four more years of Trump!

      Trump opposed this bill, and lefties also opposed it.

      But it isn't something swing voters care about.

      The big risk is lefties staying home on election day or voting for Jill Stein.

      Biden is in trouble because the more he tries to steer to the center, the more votes he loses on his left flank.

      Trump has much more freedom since his right flank is secure. Just this week, he jumped toward the center on abortion. Some fundies protested, but they have nowhere else to go.

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by sound+vision ( 884283 )

        If it looks like Biden is steering somewhere, I assure you it's an illusion. Inertial to a fault, an aimless drift at best. I can't think of 1 issue voters care about that he's substantially shifted on since being elected. Tweaks in tone here and there, but nothing of substance.

        Trump jumped out of the ring on abortion, with the boiler-plate "state's rights" cop-out that gets deployed whenever a Republican needs to avoid taking a position on an issue. Not that it even matters for a guy who's never held a coh

        • On the pop vote, I don't know. This year he has all the enthusiasm.

        • the boiler-plate "state's rights" cop-out that gets deployed whenever a Republican needs to avoid taking a position on an issue.

          "States' rights" IS a position. The Constitution says nothing about abortion, so the 10th Amendment says it is a state issue.

          That is a logical position consistent with the law.

          It is also a practical position since there is zero chance of federal restrictions.

          • No, "state's rights" isn't a position, neither is "put it on the ballot", and you know it.

            This is the same BS that happened with DACA. You push and push, get what you want, then in the face of all the public backlash try to go neutral and say it's someone else's responsibility to do the right thing, wink wink.

            Same BS with Florida's book ban.

            Across the pond it's the same BS with Brexit.

            We're all tired of this dog that caught the bumper and doesn't know what to do with it BULLSHIT. Who, me? Oh no, the states

          • So either,

            (1) Constitutional scholar Trump has a deep concern about the document's minutiae, taking a nuanced position, ceding certain powers that it just isn't his place to have.
            -or-
            (2) Politician Trump passes the buck to someone else when there's a chance he might lose on an issue.

            One of these images is not right. One of these images is totally out-of-character. Can you tell which one?

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by e3m4n ( 947977 )
          The wildcards are the Jill Stein and McCarthy players. They have a string potential to strip away swing votes from both parties. The voters who have to hold their nose while voting for someone they dislike only slightly less than the other candidate. Look at 1992 with Ross Perot to see what an impact this would have. Clinton is scared, he helped get Perot started as a benefit to his bid. He knows it’s strategy. Thats ehy he personally flew out to stop Machin and his No Labels party. He told Machin if

          • Depending on what state you're in, a third party vote may 1) have absolutely zero chance of any impact whatsoever on the results, and 2) will show dissatisfaction with both of the "major party" candidates offered to us.

            California, for instance, is a winner-take-all state, and so heavily Democrat that Biden (or anyone whatsoever with a "D" after their name on the ballot) could put on devil horns, paint his face red, and affect a Bela Lugosi laugh, and he'd still get over 60% of the vote.

            I always threatened t

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by kackle ( 910159 )
          I could be wrong, but I don't think Biden will win the Republican nomination.

      • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

        by quonset ( 4839537 )

        Trump opposed this bill,

        Of course he did. He's tired of intelligence agencies spying on his Russian handlers and revealing Russian interference. With all the crimes he keeps committing the last thing he needs is another investigation into his being a foreign agent.

        Hans Kristian Graebener = StoneToss

      • Trump opposed this bill, and lefties also opposed it.

        Trump was opposed to being investigated by the FBI, that is all.

        https://intelligence.house.gov... [house.gov]

      • You have no idea what you're talking about

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by cusco ( 717999 )

        More than anything Biden is in trouble with the left for endorsing and enabling genocide. I'm not really clear on how anyone can hold their nose long enough to vote for a war criminal (shipping weapons to Israel after the ICJ ruling is considered a war crime.) It was bad enough when we reelected one in 2004, now they're trying to get us to do it again just 16 years later.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Anonymous Coward

      Can you explain something for me? Trump claims everything Biden does is a crime. Then later on in court Trump claims that the president has immunity and can do whatever he wants.

      • Trump claims everything Biden does is a crime.

        Trump claims that the president has immunity and can do whatever he wants.

        Do you really believe this or do you know its bull crap and just trying to get other people to believe it?

    • It would be a major gift to our adversaries intelligence agencies not to. It could use some reform and it will very likely get that in Biden's second term.

      I will say that it looks like Donald Trump was the one pushing this and it's questionable why given that it would severely benefit Russian intelligence. It is entirely too frequent how often Trump does things which seem to coincidentally benefit Russian interests militarily...

      In any case no this will have no bearing on the election whatsoever excep

      • I will say that it looks like Donald Trump was the one pushing this and it's questionable why given that it would severely benefit Russian intelligence. It is entirely too frequent how often Trump does things which seem to coincidentally benefit Russian interests militarily

        Perhaps he's not on their side, he's just stupid, arrogant, and petty. I gather that's the sole reason he's come out against fighting for Ukrainian democracy. It costs us almost nothing, yet to hear him talk, it's bankrupting us to send almost nothing.

        • that the Russians are funneling money to Trump, his sons and the Republican party in general. In particular we found out that they were using the NRA to do it and, well, we all just collectively shrugged our shoulders and said "meh, whatayagonnado?".

          It's nuts. We do this crap every few years when something declassifies (Gulf of Tonkin, Iran Contra, etc) but at least there's time involved there. We can pretend it's ancient history or some shit. But the NRA scandal was less then a decade ago.

          • And Russia has been funneling money to left wing groups, especially environmentalist, for much longer. They're trying to create division and extremism.

            But I have seen NO evidence that either side is taking that (pretty small amount of) money knowing it was from Russia. Certainly, there's zero evidence Trump ever colluded with Russia, and we have the Mueller Report to thank for proving that, because after his 3 year investigation, there would have been something found other than unsuccessful FSB probes and

    • "But in a major victory for the Biden administration, House members voted down an amendment earlier in the day that would've imposed new warrant requirements on federal agencies accessing Americans' 702 data. "

      Do you want four more years of Trump? Because THIS is how you get four more years of Trump!

      You think people interested in Civil Liberties are voting for Trump?

      The only times Trump wants to restrict the power of law enforcement agencies is when they investigate him!

      • The story literally mentioned that this adjustment to the FISA warrants was being supported by Trump in particular.

        So yeah, if they're paying attention. But my point is they sure AF aren't going to support Biden after this "victory."

    • I, for one, welcome our Deep State overlords!

      If you don't have anything to hide, you've got no need to worry! We can trust our elected officials, and every single person they've ever hired!

      Honest!

    • "But in a major victory for the Biden administration, House members voted down an amendment earlier in the day that would've imposed new warrant requirements on federal agencies accessing Americans' 702 data. "
      Do you want four more years of Trump? Because THIS is how you get four more years of Trump!

      The House is controlled by Republicans... but wait... THIS Trump, the one that reauthorized section 702 in 2018, under an again, Republican House?

      https://intelligence.house.gov... [house.gov]
      House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes today issued the following statement after President Trump signed into law the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act:

      "This bill reauthorizes a crucial anti-terrorism toolâ"with increased privacy protectionsâ"that helps track foreign terrorists and thwart

      • That bill still had warrant requirements in it if it involved American citizens. This one strips that requirement out.

  • Never let go of power (Score:4, Insightful)

    by bradley13 ( 1118935 ) on Saturday April 13, 2024 @12:22AM (#64390946) Homepage
    This is about power. When did you ever see a government voluntarily *reduce* its power. Information on citizens that can be secretly called up? No warrants, or at best secret approval by a secret judge? Like all the abuses revealed by Snowdon, this program isn't going anywhere.

  • Call as many congresscritters offices as you can and ask these questions:

    How long are they keeping this data? Are they destroying backups too. Is the data stored encrypted. These are simple fucking questions. If they are doing this sort of spying we need STRONG oversight and them to publish exactly how many wiretaps. How many hours of conversation. etc. And the renewal should be every 6 months.

    • I can save you a call (which they won't answer):

      Q1: How long are they keeping this data?
      A1: Forever.

      Q2: Are they destroying backups too.
      A2: see A1. No data is ever destroyed.

      Q3: Is the data stored encrypted.
      A3: no. Encrypted data is much harder to search than unencrypted data. Encryption defeats the purpose of having the data.

  • Spying (Score:4, Insightful)

    by backslashdot ( 95548 ) on Saturday April 13, 2024 @12:28AM (#64390950)

    The FBI probably has detailed files on the 273 pedo congresscritters that voted for this.

    • Re:Spying (Score:4, Funny)

      by quonset ( 4839537 ) on Saturday April 13, 2024 @06:02AM (#64391182)

      The FBI probably has detailed files on the 273 pedo congresscritters that voted for this.

      So Matt Goetz?

      • The FBI probably has detailed files on the 273 pedo congresscritters that voted for this.

        So Matt Goetz?

        Hey! It's only paedophilia if a Democrat does it!

        If a Republican man has sex with a vulnerable underage female it just means he's a player!

  • Big Daddy Guv'ment does it, why shouldn't I.

    I bet most incumbents make it back to office too. This country is so sad. And I mean the dumbfucks who keep voting these cockroaches into office.

    • Actually, they do it the other way around. (A.K.A. Why adding warrant requirements to Section 702 is pointless.)

      Corps collect the data, and because that data is now held by a third party, the government can just use the All Writs Act to get access to it.

      Another way is to just pay the corps using taxpayer money to get access to the data. (I.e. Just like every other private entity on the planet. Only difference is the government buyers will never run out of money, and will always buy up even the smallest pi
  • gimme a break. They were NOT bothered by targeting of activists and journalists. They were appalled at targeting of sitting members. None of them give a fuck unless it directly affects them.
  • Have you got something to hide?

  • https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/... [house.gov]

    A few more D than R but close enough to say both parties are full of shit.

    This is why I hate when media reports some bill passing is bipartisan and therefore good because it is bipartisan. It's just gas lighting bullshit to say that a bill is good just because everyone in Congress occasionally agrees on how to fuck us all over.

    • Which is why the vote to impose warrant requirements with an amendment was 212-212 before being spiked by that quisling Johnson. His explanation of which was "I was totally for warrant requirements before taken behind closed doors and being convinced of their necessity". In which 50% more republicans than democrats voted for requiring warrants and 13 cowardly bitches refused to vote.
      https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/... [house.gov]

  • "The government argues that Americans are not themselves being targeted and thus the wiretaps are legal."

    The US has protections against warrant-less search & seizure too. Not to worry... "We're not searching American citizens themselves, merely their possessions... many of which are made in - gasp - China!"

    If you're not supposed to spy on Americans, sorry, but you're not supposed to spy on Americans. And spying includes buying intelligence from other countries. You don't get to hire Spanish spies

  • I guess it is time for active disruption then.

    Programs to open hundreds of thousands of fake vpn connections flooding IKE messages.
    Generate massive archives of public/private key pairs that are all encrypted with 4kb secure-random passwords flooding the net.
    SSH-Audit and disable the backdoor algorithms still enabled by default on most distros.
    Spray Deodorant on license plates removes their IR reflectivity and stops automatic readers from tracking.
    Phone goes into a Faraday bag when not needed.
    Move your priva

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