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.
1,805 Articles

A Model for Countering Foreign Disinformation and Interference in Elections
There’s a model the U.S. government applied in the counterterrorism context that provides a potential template for addressing the election interference threat over the long run.

Telegram’s Cryptocurrency Could Have a Terrorism Problem
A look at how the release of Telegram's cryptocurrency could offer terrorists and other bad actors new options to circumvent financial regulators and potentially undo years of…

The Gravity of Michael Ellis’ Promotion to Senior Director for Intelligence at the White House
The person just put in charge of intelligence at the NSC was credibly accused of abusing the classification system in the Ukraine matter, and was even personally named in the articles…

The Middle East Peace “Vision” From an Old CIA Hand
The most problematic, near-term effect of the Trump administration’s “vision” may be its diminishment of critical behind-the-scenes cooperation between the U.S., Israeli,…

The President’s War on Intelligence: Yes, It’s Worse Than You Think
The delayed cost of the president’s war on intelligence will be measured in terms of the steps backward that the U.S. is taking to pursue genuine intelligence reform, as it did…

The FBI and Apple Redux
It remains to be seen how this new clash will resolve itself, but the stakes have only increased for both sides.

Improve FISA on Civil Liberties by Strengthening Amici
A series of recommendations could position amici to make forceful civil liberties and privacy arguments, effecting change from within the FISA court system.

Congress Is Ready for FISA Reform — Will the House Judiciary Committee Rise to the Occasion?
In the next 24 hours, the House Judiciary Committee has a unique opportunity to seriously reform FISA surveillance powers.

For House, Senate National Security Committees, Stopgaps for Term Limits
Some alternatives to retain experience in key committee leadership for the good of congressional oversight.

Why the 2020 Election Will Be A Mess: It’s Just Too Easy for Putin
The 2020 election cycle will provide the Kremlin opportunities to pursue further subversion, disinformation, and deception.

Guantanamo’s Ugly Taint on U.S. Diplomacy
Watching the Guantanamo proceedings from behind the courtroom's safety glass brings to mind a different prison, halfway around the world, in Egypt.

The CIA in the Age of Trump
Under Trump, the CIA workforce has experienced two directors unwilling to spend any of their political capital on encouraging the president to be more supportive of the Intelligence…