Intelligence & Surveillance
Just Security’s expert authors provide legal and policy analysis of intelligence and surveillance activities, focusing on their impact on national security and on civil liberties and privacy rights, and their oversight by Congress and the courts.
1,807 Articles
“Expense,” “Delay,” and the Inauspicious Debut of the USA FREEDOM Act’s Amicus Provision
I have very little to add to Liza Goitein’s thorough and excellent post from this morning, which explains–quite forcefully in my view–why Judge Saylor’s…
A New US-UK Data Sharing Treaty?
In a little-noticed piece of news (at least in the US), the UK has been contemplating a new international treaty to enable British authorities to access user data held by US tech…
The FISC’s Newest Opinion: Proof of the Need for an Amicus
In the first public opinion of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) since the USA Freedom Act became law, Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV ruled that the law revived the…
The CIA Can’t Keep Its Drone Propaganda Straight
This week, one government intelligence agency, after patiently and methodically tracking a terrorist leader for months through precise electronic surveillance, successfully targeted…
The Hidden Meaning (Maybe) of the New FISC Opinion
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court released an opinion today, dated June 17, holding that despite the brief lapse of several provisions of the USA Patriot Act, the effect…
The OPM Hack and the New DOD Law of War Manual
Last Friday was a big day in cybersecurity news. OPM announced that, in addition to the compromise of the personnel information of federal employees revealed on June 4, Chinese…
UN’s David Kaye on Encryption, Anonymity, and Human Rights
In his first report as UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye fired a shot across the bow of governments…
The Ridiculous GTMO Counsel-Stripping Amendment: An Easy Vote
[UPDATE: The Amendment failed by a vote of 133-297.] Steve has already described the likely constitutional problems with the latest Guantanamo amendment designed to strip funding…
Why the Latest Ridiculous Guantánamo Amendment is Almost Certainly Unconstitutional
Later today, the House of Representatives appears set to vote on the following amendment to the Department of Defense appropriations bill, sponsored by Missouri Congressman Jason…
UK Investigatory Powers Review: A New Blueprint for Surveillance?
“the importance of clear law, fair procedures, rights compliance and transparency: not just fashionable buzz-words, but the necessary foundation for the trust between government…
No Torture Means No Torture – Why We Need the McCain-Feinstein Anti-Torture Amendment
Do we mean what we say when we ban torture? That has been a question for more than a decade, ever since President George W. Bush, on United Nations International Day in Support…
The (Telephony) Matrix Reloaded
The Obama administration has sought to temporarily relaunch the NSA’s bulk telephone records collection program, which was wound down over recent weeks as its legal foundation,…