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.

× Clear Filters
1,837 Articles
Sticker messages placed on a fence by Thai student demonstrators are seen during a Milk Tea Alliance pro-democracy protest outside the Chinese embassy in Bangkok on October 1, 2020. Some of the sticky-notes read, “Mulan Live is Not Mulan,” “Save Tzuyu!” “Respect Basic Human Rights,” and more.

As China Promotes Authoritarian Model, the Resilience of Its Democratic Targets is Key

Pro-democracy political leaders, activists, and media can build on their successes against such influence with help from the world’s leading democracies.
Trump and Putin’s silhouettes as they walk side-by-side.

“Strategic Silence” and State-Sponsored Hacking: The US Gov’t and SolarWinds

The absence to date of executive branch attribution and condemnation of the SolarWinds intrusions may be strategic silence—a tactic employed in the immediate aftermath of past…
The US Capitol Building is lit up at night.

Needed: A Whistleblower Protection Paradigm Shift

What should be done to provide truly meaningful and effective protections for government employees or contractors seeking to expose wrongdoing in the Intelligence Community?
Trump claps his hands at the Republican presidential nomination as son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner and children Eric and Ivanka Trump look on the South Lawn of the White House August 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. None of them wear face masks.

We Can’t “Look Forward” on the Trump Administration’s Abuses

When President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January, he will confront a national economic crisis and a still out-of-control pandemic. He will also face questions about how to…
The White House, Washington, D.C.

Addressing Our Whole-of-Government Deficit in National Security

From Russ Travers who retired in July 2020 after a 42-year career in the Intelligence Community, having served in senior positions across multiple intelligence organizations --…
An engineer-virologist looks at 24 well plates adherent cells monolayer infected with a Sars-CoV-2 virus.

COVID-19 and International Law Series: Vaccine Theft, Disinformation, the Law Governing Cyber Operations

Ongoing cyberattacks on vaccine production and distribution systems, such as those discovered by IBM yesterday, may threaten efforts to fight COVID-19. But do they break international…
: Director of National Intelligence nominee Avril Haines speaks after being introduced by President-elect Joe Biden as he introduces key foreign policy and national security nominees and appointments at the Queen Theatre on November 24, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware.

How to Revitalize the Intelligence Community: A Long, But Essential To-Do List

The president-elect and his DNI should act promptly and assertively to reverse Trump’s mistreatment, revitalize Community morale, and, through aggressive but prudent investment…
A man crosses the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) seal in the lobby of CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, on August 14, 2008.

CIA Is Losing Its Best and Brightest and Not Just Because of Trump

In order to retain its best and brightest, CIA may need to part ways with some of its elders.
A phone with social media logos for Linkedin, YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Data and Democracy: Three Things the Biden-Harris Administration Should Do to Tackle Big Tech

The monetization of personal data poses a direct threat to civil rights and democracy. The good news: the Biden-Harris administration has an opportunity to check this destructive…
Officials from the South Korean Central Election Management Committee and election observers count votes cast of Parliamentary election amid the coronavirus outbreak on April 15, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea. Everyone wears a mask properly over their mouth and nose.

COVID-19 and International Law Series: Human Rights Law – Civil and Political Rights

[Editor’s Note: This article is part of a Just Security series, COVID and International Law. All articles in the series can be found here.] States around the world have had…
Redacted text on a sheet of paper.

How a New Administration—and a New Congress—Can Fix Prepublication Review: A Roadmap for Reform

The new administration, and the new Congress, should act more decisively to reform this broken system.
Members and supporters of The Washington Region Religious Campaign Against Torture hold a rally to demand Congressional action to stop torture on Capitol Hill March 10, 2008 in Washington, DC. A banner reads, “Torture is un-American.”

On Accountability and the Next Presidency, Starting With the Cabinet

To truly “Build Back Better,” as Biden promised, he must not nominate, appoint, or otherwise hire anyone for his administration who has seriously abused power.
1-12 of 1,837 items

DON'T MISS A THING. Stay up to date with Just Security curated newsletters: