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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1,837 Articles
Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on February 22, 2021 in Washington, DC.

A Flaw in the Attorney General’s Policy Against Seizing Reporters’ Records

The new Guidelines hamstring prosecutors’ ability to counter the worst espionage, writes George Croner.
The dome of the U.S. Capitol building is seen behind a barbed wire fence on January 14, 2021. The barbed wire was installed after the attempted coup on January 6, 2021.

GAO Faults DHS for Failing to Designate Jan. 6 as a Protected Event in Advance of Attack

DHS erroneously considered activities at the Capitol “routine congressional business” and failed to properly consider threat environment, GAO report says.
Trump speaks as White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows stands behind him prior to Trump's Marine One departure from the South Lawn of the White House July 29, 2020 in Washington, DC.

Mark Meadows Timeline: The Chief of Staff and Schemes to Overturn 2020 Election

Meadows was directly involved at major intersections of President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. A detailed timeline of all the publicly available…
A phone showing app icons for WeChat and TikTok. An American flag and Chinese flag are in the background behind the phone.

Balancing Reality and Fear: Why An Alarmist Take on Chinese Influence Operations Is Counterproductive

Five specific reasons not to exaggerate the threat of Chinese cyber influence operations.
A cylindrical cipher device.

Encryption Originalism

Encryption originalism views strong encryption as the modern reemergence of Founding Era practice of employing—often unbreakable—ciphers.
The U.S. Department of Justice Building, where the Office of Legal Counsel resides.

Long-Withheld Office of Legal Counsel Records Reveal Agency’s Postwar Influence

The Knight Institute is publishing 14 indexes cataloging the titles of more than a thousand unclassified opinions authored by the OLC between 1945 and 1958.
Abstract Background - Cyber Internet

Artificial Intelligence in the Intelligence Community: Money is Not Enough

Congress wants to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on competitiveness in emerging technology, and AI in particular. But spending it effectively requires reforms to the Intelligence…
Fox News host Tucker Carlson discusses 'Populism and the Right' during the National Review Institute's Ideas Summit at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel March 29, 2019 in Washington, DC.

The Tucker Carlson Disinformation Show

Tucker Carlson's latest claims provide a textbook example of the disinformation techniques that fuel conspiracy theories – and illustrate what makes them so dangerous.
A busy market area in Kandahar. People ride motorized bikes, in small vehicles or walk in the street. Umbrellas and tarps cover market stalls.

What We Can Expect in Afghanistan from US Intelligence Once US Troops Are Gone

U.S. troops are leaving Afghanistan, but the Intelligence Community is merely entering a new phase of the conflict.
The Statue of Liberty at sunset. The sky is a mix of red and orange and the Statue of Liberty is seen as a silhouette. Construction can been seen as silhouettes in the background.

Reforming the FISA Process: Tweak or Overhaul?

Earlier this month, Adam Klein, the outgoing chair of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, took the unusual step of issuing a unilateral “Chairman’s White…
A U.S. Army serviceman sits at the tailgate of a helicopter carrying US Defence Secretary, after leaving the Resolute Support headquarters, in the Afghan capital Kabul on April 24, 2017. The city below is lit up in lights against the darkening sky.

New Just Security Series: Reflections on Afghanistan on the Eve of Withdrawal

A series of essays that considers the legacy of America’s longest war as well as what the future holds for Afghanistan.
A police officer carrying zip ties.

The Méndez Principles: The Case for US Legislation on Law Enforcement Interviews

Americans are increasingly interested not only in reallocating police resources, but also making policing more effective and more ethical.
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