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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1,846 Articles
National Security Advisor John Bolton and Donald Trump

Questions for the Government in the Bolton Book TRO Hearing(s)

Goldsmith and Lederman deliver up a series of questions that will expose the strengths and weaknesses of the government's claims.

Assessing the Government’s Lawsuit Against John Bolton [UPDATED after Wednesday’s filing of a TRO motion]

An explainer about some common misconceptions, and how the litigation will likely play out.
An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during a developmental test, Feb. 5, 2020, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

The Potential U.S. Security Threats in Letting New START Lapse

Almost every problem that critics say this nuclear-weapons pact doesn't solve would be aggravated if the treaty expires.
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Robert Redfield (C) speaks about the COVID-19 (coronavirus) alongside Vice President Mike Pence and members of the Coronavirus Task Force in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, DC, March 9, 2020.

Redactions in CDC Communications Policies Leave Key Questions Unanswered

Newly released CDC documents — via FOIA — confirm Office of Vice President’s involvement in CDC COVID-19 communications, leave important details concealed, and raise First…
Nominee John L. Ratcliffe testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee nomination hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office building on Capitol Hill on Capitol Hill on May 5, 2020 in Washington, DC.

The Intelligence Community, Transparency, and Today’s Threats To American Security

The world has arguably become a more dangerous place for America over the course of these last three years, and looking no further than our own streets reflects a need to reassess…
Michael Flynn, Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, and Solicitor General Noel Francisco

Four Remarkable Arguments in DOJ’s Latest Brief in the Michael Flynn Case [UPDATED with links to reply/response briefs]

A couple of weeks ago, I published a very long, comprehensive post in which I tried to explain all the ins and outs of the Michael Flynn case, from 2016 to the present day.  Since…
The COVIDSafe app by the Australian government on an iPhone.

How Digital Contact Tracing for COVID-19 Could Worsen Inequality

The pandemic has punctuated systemic socio-economic disparities. Don't let reopening measures make them worse.
Pompeo

Pompeo’s Personal Stake in the International Criminal Court’s Afghan Investigation

It is no secret that the Trump administration, in general, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, specifically, are hostile toward the International Criminal Court (ICC), particularly…
Aerial view of people in white and red to form the Canadian flag.

A Deep Dive into Canada’s Overhaul of Its Foreign Intelligence and Cybersecurity Laws

Following the release of documents by Edward Snowden, many of the Western governments whose agencies’ activities were implicated in the leaks raced to update and modernize their…
A person holds a sign reading, "Stop the Attacks on People's Democratic Rights!" in front of ABS-CBNs main office on May 5, 2020 in Manila, Philippines.

A Bipartisan Push in Congress to Fight the ‘Parallel Pandemic’ of Human Rights Abuses Abroad

Legislation would improve US support to rights defenders, journalists, and marginalized groups fighting authoritarian abuses of emergency powers abroad.
Comey, Flynn, Barr, and Yates

Understanding the Michael Flynn Case: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff, and the Proper from the Improper

What follows is an effort to identify and evaluate many of the most important aspects of the Flynn affair, roughly in chronological order from the Summer of 2016 to today.
Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-TX, is sworn in before a Senate Intelligence Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington,DC on May 5, 2020.

Leading the Intelligence Community Will Be a Test for Ratcliffe

Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) was confirmed last Thursday as President Donald Trump’s top intelligence adviser in a party line Senate vote, putting an inexperienced and highly…
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