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.

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1,840 Articles
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gestures near a podium in front of an American flag.

Big Tech’s Moment of Truth on AI Safety

AI companies should resist the urge to undercut Anthropic and use their collective leverage to make clear that access to frontier models comes with limits.
Two women wearing t-shirts under bulletproof vests, helmets and handcuffs, are escorted by armed guards on either side, walking up stairs to a court building. The vests and helmets have the letters BJMP on them, for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, part of the country's Ministry of the Interior.

The Philippines Is Jailing Journalists in the Name of “Terror Financing”: Why the World Should Be Alarmed

The case of a jailed journalist in the Philippines is a warning for how efforts to counter terrorism financing can be manipulated into political tools of repression.
Military unmanned aerial vehicle at sunset.

Is the U.S. Conducting Air Strikes Against Al Qaeda in Yemen?

Despite official silence, multiple reports indicate renewed U.S. drone strikes in Yemen targeting AQAP militants, reviving debates on transparency and endless war.
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee ranking member Rep. Robert Garcia (center top row) (D-CA) speaks during a hearing with committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (top right) (R-KY) at the U.S. Capitol January 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

How Congress Can Give Epstein Survivors the Investigation They Deserve, Starting with Compelling Maxwell to Testify

Congress should use its authority to investigate fully, by compelling Maxwell to testify without granting her any pardon for her serious crimes.
Visualization of cybersecurity

U.S. Withdrawal from International Cyber Organizations Weakens Global Cooperation Against Cyber Threats

The U.S. withdrawal from international cyber organizations will hamper intelligence sharing, coordinated response, and joint capabilities.
two fishermen in the foreground, the USSS Gravely in the background, on the open sea.

Can the U.S. Government Be Sued for Wrongful Death in a Caribbean Boat Strike?

In Burnley v. United States, relatives sue on behalf of two Trinidadian men killed in a boat strike, confronting U.S. sovereign immunity and the political question doctrine.
People watch the smoke rising from Port of La Guaira after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard on January 03, 2026 in La Guaira, Venezuela. According to some reports, explosions were heard in Caracas and other cities near airports and military bases around 2 am. US President Donald Trump later announce that his country's military had launched a "large-scale" attack on Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. (Photo by Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)

U.S. Intelligence in a Post-Maduro Venezuela

Intelligence has a central role to play in capitalizing on the successful capture of Maduro and stabilizing post-Maduro Venezuela, demonstrating U.S. capabilities and resolve.
A U.S. hacker sitting opposite of a Chinese hacker

America’s Cyber Retreat Is Undermining Indo-Pacific Security

A "Cyber Shield" would enable the United States and its Indo-Pacific allies to attribute quickly, act collectively, and stem Beijing’s cyber coercion.
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) (R) speaks as Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) looks on

Questions Lawmakers Should Ask About Inspector General Report on Signalgate

The OIG report on the "Signalgate" incident is far from the “total exoneration” claimed by Hegseth and his aides.
(L-R) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte

The Quiet Rebalance in Transatlantic Intelligence

Recent developments are deepening European officials' existing unease about Washington's steadiness as a security partner.
Hungarian activists of the neo-Nazi Blood and Honour group hold flags in Budapest 11 February 2006 as participants bring wreaths at the tomb of Unknown Soldier in Heroes Square in Budapest where a German WWII helmet and wood cross were placed. More than 600 people attended the event to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the ill-fated escape attempt of Nazi German and Hungarian soldiers from Buda Castle, which was besieged 11 February 1945 by the Soviet Red Army at the end of World War II. (Photo by ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP via Getty Images)

State Dept’s Foreign Terrorist Designations Undermine Claims of “Antifa” Threat

Leading counter-extremism expert unpacks the administration's claimed designation of "Antifa Groups"
(L/R) South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Mexico's Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand, Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Britain's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, France's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot, and India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar gather for a photo during the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, on November 12, 2025. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The International Law Obligation of States to Stop Intelligence Support for U.S. Boat Strikes

The only way States can avoid complicity in “arbitrary killings” under international human rights law is to refrain from sharing intelligence that, in part, enables them.
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