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.
1,846 Articles

The Terrorist as a “Potentially Dangerous Person”: The German Counterterrorism Regime
The attack on Berlin’s Breitscheidplatz in December 2016 was arguably Germany’s 9/11. While German anti-terrorism law previously was influenced “only” by international…

Eli Lake’s Omissions and Misleading Facts in Defense of Michael Flynn
Lake's essay has been called “the best summary of the pro-Flynn argument you'll ever read,” but former US Attorney and Professor Barbara McQuade finds Lake's analysis omits…

Nuclear Arms Control, or a New Arms Race? Trump Seems Bent on the Latter.
More ambitious talks with the Russians and Chinese are a laudable goal. But they can be pursued smartly and without unnecessarily high risk.

Recently Released OLC Opinions From 1974 Shed Light on Current Legal Debates
Earlier this month, my colleagues and I at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University secured the release of 96 previously withheld opinions authored by the Justice…

Anticipating Phase Two of the Trumped Up “Obamagate”
Grappling with the potential criminal liability of leakers of the Flynn phone call, and how Trump and Barr will exploit it in their ongoing campaign of public deception.

An Ongoing Problem: Germany’s Protection of Foreigners’ Communication Abroad
Will Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court press for further reforms or defer the matter to politics when it decides on the issue later this month?

Lessons From a Torture Advocate’s Failed Bid for a Key Human Rights Position
As society continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, most news has been gloomy. But there have been positive developments, and among them is a rare story of accountability…

Coronavirus Adds Urgency to Ending Egypt’s Detention and Torture of Children
The United States has long justified its support for Egyptian security services as necessary for the security and stability of Egypt and the region. Yet the means by which the…

Ratcliffe’s Radical Positions During the Impeachment Proceedings
"There were many paths open to congressional Republicans in how they addressed the impeachment process. Very few chose Ratcliffe’s approach."

ODNI’s 2019 Statistical Transparency Report: The FBI Violates FISA…Again
Buried in the ODNI's 2019 statistical transparency report—released on Thursday—is information about a major instance of non-compliance with the law that ODNI hasn’t previously…

As the U.S. Risks Reopening for Business, Technology Alone Won’t Stop the Coronavirus
Bluetooth contact-tracing apps could be a tool for returning to some version of normal, but only within limits and with robust safeguards,

Top Experts Analyze Inspector General Report Finding Problems in FBI Surveillance
Expert takes on the Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz's recent report on FBI procedures for obtaining secret warrants under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance…