A communications provider has ordered the National Security Agency to comply with an order under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows U.S. intelligence agencies to collect digital communications (including text messages and emails) of foreign nationals abroad without a warrant. announced that it would be suspended on Monday. People within the United States.
Another provider indicated it would stop complying late Friday unless the law was reauthorized, according to a person familiar with the matter. They discuss sensitive negotiations on condition of anonymity.
Although the company's decision was communicated privately and has not been previously reported, national security officials have been alarmed, saying they strongly disagree with the company's position, and the law requires providers to They argue that the law requires them to continue to comply with government surveillance orders even after they expire. This month, a federal court granted the government a one-year extension to continue collecting information.
Section 702 requires the government to seek approval from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for the categories of information it wishes to collect. The court issues “certificates” for collections involving international terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and foreign governments and related entities. These certifications are valid for one year and were renewed this month at the request of the government.
U.S. officials have long argued that the law is an important tool for collecting electronic communications about hostile foreign governments and terrorist groups. But the update has sparked an unusual divide between conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats, who are wary of giving the government broad surveillance powers without new restrictions.
The company's loss would be a significant blow to U.S. intelligence gathering, said people familiar with efforts to keep companies compliant, who declined to be named.
One U.S. official called the potential information leak “very concerning.” “You can't turn it on and turn it back on.”
U.S. regulators began hearing information Friday afternoon that the provider plans to cease compliance unless Section 702 is reauthorized.
Senators spent 11 hours Friday night trying to reach an agreement on amendments to the bill to quickly reauthorize it and avoid it from expiring. Last week, the House renewed Section 702, but only for his two years, after privacy hardliners failed to pass an amendment that would have required U.S. intelligence agencies. Government agencies must obtain a warrant to examine Americans' communications collected under the program. The bid failed by a dramatic 212-212 vote.
House approval came despite former President Donald Trump's pleas on social media to “repeal” the bill. False accusations made by the federal government Surveillance powers were used to spy on his 2016 campaign.
The law, first passed in 2008 and reauthorized several times since then, allows the NSA to collect the online traffic of non-Americans abroad from U.S. tech companies and telecommunications providers for foreign intelligence purposes without a warrant. . Communications with foreign targets deemed relevant to the FBI's national security investigations (about 3% of targets, the government says) are shared with the bureau. But the law is controversial because some of these communications could include communications with Americans and could be viewed by the FBI without a warrant.
“The House bill represents the largest expansion of oversight in the 15 years since Section 702 was created, and would leave a disgraced Congress expanding oversight at a time when reform is needed.” said Director Jake Laperuque. Security and Surveillance Project.
Meanwhile, U.S. security officials have long touted the benefits of the law, and White House officials said intelligence gathering had taken place. It accounts for more than 60 percent of the president's daily press conferences. FBI Director Christopher A. Wray recently said that he helped the FBI discover that Chinese hackers had penetrated the network of U.S. transportation hubs, leading to last year's terrorist plot in the United States that involved possible attacks on critical infrastructure. It was revealed that it helped prevent the site.
“Failure to reauthorize the 702, or water it down with some new warrant requirement, would be dangerous and endanger American lives,” Wray told Congress this month. Ta.