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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1,805 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.
A phone with the icon for Telegram, a messaging app.

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…
This picture taken on February 13, 2020 shows a view of a watchtower and a section of Israel's wall on the outskirts of Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem in the foreground, the Qalandia camp for Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank behind, and Israeli construction cranes at work on new housing units in the Jewish settlement of Kochav Ya'akov near the West Bank city of Ramallah in the background.

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,…
Trump speaks at the CIA headquarters on January 21, 2017 in Langley, Virginia. Trump spoke with about 300 people in his first official visit with a government agency.

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…
A person takes a photo of the official seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on their iPhone. J. Edgar Hoover headquarters February 23, 2016 in Washington, DC

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.
Woman's hand showing world communication hologram with digital interface technology.

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.
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee meets to consider articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump at the Longworth House Office Building on Thursday December 12, 2019 in Washington, DC.

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.
The United States Capitol building in Washington DC, USA

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.
Voters cast their ballots on Election Day November 04, 2008, at Centreville High School in Clifton, Virginia.

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.
Razor wire lines in front of the US flag at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

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.
Gina Haspel (L) is sworn in as the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency alongside US President Donald Trump (R) and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (C) during a ceremony at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, May 21, 2018.

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…
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