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

Homeland Security’s Intelligence Overreach: Two Cases Illustrate Risks to Civil Society
The Department of Homeland Security is deploying its intelligence apparatus against activists, journalists, and human rights lawyers, with no guard rails against abuse in place.…

President Trump’s Cronyism and Excesses Should Prompt Security Clearance Reform
The Trump years threaten to become a boiling point for numerous simmering constitutional conflicts, but one of the most innocuous-looking might end up being one of the most important.…

The White House Counsel’s Flawed Response to Congress on Security Clearances
Intensifying congressional oversight activity prompted President Donald Trump to accuse Democrats of “presidential harassment.” He complained — falsely — that President…

The Seven Step Program for Fighting Disinformation
A full-spectrum strategy is needed to proactively prepare for the next wave of social-media and internet-based psychological disinformation operations.

Stop Using the Word “Collusion”—How to Frame the Critical Question at the Heart of Trump-Russia
Much of the discussion surrounding the Trump campaign’s contacts with Russia in the months leading up to the 2016 election has been mystifying for the American public. As the…

India’s Digital Path: Leaning Democratic or Authoritarian?
As the two largest democracies in the world, India and the United States should be working together to combat this abuse of technology. But India has taken some troubling steps…

Trump’s Moves Against the Intelligence Community Are Hurting U.S. National Security
Trump’s hostility toward the intelligence community seriously damages our national security by undermining his ability to rely on IC assessments for grave decisions in the future,…

Can American Political Candidates Help Stop the Flood of Disinformation with a Pledge?
U.S. intelligence officials are already issuing warnings about foreign interference in American democracy ahead of what promises to be a bruising 2020 election cycle. Delivering…

The Threat That Mustn’t Be Named
On Tuesday, America’s national security leaders took part in a rite of congressional oversight — the annual Worldwide Threats hearing. This session — featuring the…

Schiff’s First Order of Business for the House Intelligence Committee
The start of a new Congress wipes the slate clean for the House of Representatives, which must adopt new rules, establish new committees, and write new legislation. One major opportunity…

NYPD Spy Drones Fly into Privacy Headwinds
A squad of 14 New York Police Department drones will soon be soaring over the city’s skyline, with the ability to record people’s lives, even if that’s not their stated…

Western Covert Action and Russian Active Measures: Hypocrisy or Divergent Values?
Most Americans now realize the Kremlin has attempted to influence, interfere, and subvert our democratic system. Recent reports even suggest the Russian intelligence services may…