The War on Terror-era legislation that authorized decades of civil liberties-eroding mass surveillance expired on June 12. Congress has a choice to make before they reauthorize this bill: will they greenlight warrantless mass surveillance of American citizens, or uphold the Constitution and prevent more of Trump’s authoritarian power grabs?
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was passed in 2008 as a counterterrorist measure, but has a long history of abuse from the federal government, especially when it comes to surveillance. This even more dangerous knowing that Stephen Miller wants to deploy AI to supercharge FISA surveillance.
Your Senator has a choice to make: Will they greenlight warrantless mass surveillance, supercharged by AI, or hold the line and reject any effort to move forward without serious privacy guardrails. FISA as it is currently written:
- Allows warrantless backdoor surveillance of people in and out of the country
- Offers little to no protections against the administration targeting critics, activists, religious minorities, or communities of color
- Actively chills our freedoms of speech and association
Two years ago, this reauthorization legislation sailed through Congress with bipartisan support. That can’t happen again. Democratic leadership and members must hold the line for our civil liberties. And any Democrat or Republican voting for unfettered spying on US citizens should hear from their constituents. The issue here is fairly wonky, but we have written talking points for you.
Once you’ve called your US senators, call your US representative and demand the same.