Warrantless FBI Searches of American Communications Drop 50 Percent (theverge.com) 33
The FBI cut its warrantless searches of American data in half in 2023, according to a government report released on Tuesday. From a report: According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence's annual transparency report, the FBI conducted 57,094 searches of "US person" data under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act last year -- a 52 percent decrease from 2022.
In a press briefing, a senior FBI official said that the drop was due to reforms the agency implemented in 2021 and 2022, The Record reports. Despite the drop in overall searches of Americans' data, the report also notes that the number of foreign targets whose data could be searched in the Section 702 database rose to 268,590, a 9 percent increase from the previous year. The number of "probable cause" targets also increased significantly, from 417 in 2022 to 759 in 2023. Of those, 57 percent are estimated to be "US persons," which includes US citizens and permanent residents.
In a press briefing, a senior FBI official said that the drop was due to reforms the agency implemented in 2021 and 2022, The Record reports. Despite the drop in overall searches of Americans' data, the report also notes that the number of foreign targets whose data could be searched in the Section 702 database rose to 268,590, a 9 percent increase from the previous year. The number of "probable cause" targets also increased significantly, from 417 in 2022 to 759 in 2023. Of those, 57 percent are estimated to be "US persons," which includes US citizens and permanent residents.
Or (Score:5)
Re:Or (Score:5, Interesting)
I was going to say they are just buying it now from the data brokers, right? No need to search when you just buy it with a credit card. Probably a lot cheaper too since you can just get a subscription and make as many queries as you need and instead of applying for warrants you just have a recurring line item on a government card that is for "Data Analytics Research Services, LLC."
All at a price that even I can afford, LOL!!!
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
If they are not legally present, how are they being counted? Or is that a guess?
Re: Or (Score:2)
Don't underestimate Joe Biden's ability to fuck things up
- Barack Obama. Oh, and I voted for Obama.
Alternative Take (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1)
Either that or 50% of the searches were directed at me personally and they've finally figured out that I'm not up to anything.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
This is most likely.
The Fourth Amendment requires them to get a warrant for 100% but the Judiciary is hopelessly corrupt.
U.S. Gov: Now With 50% Fewer 4A Violations! (Score:5, Interesting)
No syslog to see here. Nope. (Score:2)
If there's no warrant, then there's no paper trail to prove the search did or didn't happen.
Really? It’s 2024 and we’re going to pretend they conducted every warrantless “search” without a modern computer or database that also magically did not create a audit (paper) trail of any kind when used?
No trail my ass. If your fucking washing machine has a syslog now, they know damn well who’s been abusing and how often.
Did they just give the data to a 5 eye nation? (Score:1)
Just have another 5 eye nation search the data.
Don't be so cynical. (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Our 3 letter agencies may be playing fast and loose with our constitutional protections, but they're a far fucking cry from Gestapo.
50% fewer viloations (Score:3)
I want to see this work for a criminal in court. But your honor, I committed 50% less crime last year and you need to give me a break!
Re: (Score:1)
I want to see this work for a criminal in court.
It would if they had money. See: Simpson, Orenthal James and Trump, Donald John.
Re: (Score:2)
Did either of those guys admit to anything?
Re: (Score:2)
Well, one of them broadcasts his crimes pretty publicly, via social media, and the other wrote a book about it....
Re: (Score:2)
Which half? (Score:1)
Err... (Score:3)
Reminds me of the last two panels of this XKCD [xkcd.com]. Our rights are only being violated half as much. Yay, I guess? Strictly speaking, it's better than the alternative, and yet someone is clearly doing their job horribly wrong.
They're still spying on Americans, just indirectly (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
That can only mean one thing (Score:2)
That they found an easier way to spy on their citizens.
We are law enforcement, we have to tell the truth! (Score:2)
In this thread I can't tell between (Score:2)
Lots of civil right loss without probable cause (Score:2)
As Someone Recently Raided by the FBI (Score:1)
That's an interesting way of saying... (Score:2)
The single most law-violating entity within the US Government wants you to know it's now only violating the plain text of The United States Constitution (not some ordinary law, but the basic contract between the people and the government) 59K+ times per year, and while it happily destroys the lives of average people it finds violating the law, it has NEVER actually prosecuted a single FBI employee for a single one of these now exceeding 250K+ federal crimes. Oh, and be sure to be distracted by this and not