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
The logos of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are seen on computer terminals in a training room of the Cyber Crimes Center of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement October 13, 2009 in Fairfax, Virginia.

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.…
Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) listen during a hearing before Senate (Select) Intelligence Committee March 7, 2018 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

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.…
Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly listen while US President Donald Trump puts his papers away at the beginning of a meeting on cyber security in the Roosevelt Room of the White House January 31, 2017 in Washington, DC.

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…
Subcommittee ranking member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) speaks as Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) looks on during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism hearing titled 'Extremist Content and Russian Disinformation Online' on Capitol Hill, October 31, 2017 in Washington, DC. A sign behind them reads, “The Russian Toolbox in the 2016 Election – Propaganda, Fake News, Trolls, and Bots: Yes – Hacking and Theft of Political Information: Yes – Timed Leaks of Damaging Material: Yes“

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.
Russian journalists watch a TV showing U.S. President Donald Trump shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the press center of Presidential Palace on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, Finland.

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…
Shiromani Akali Dal party supporters protest against the Punjab government and police for allegedly fraudulent votes being cast in local elections, outside a polling station in Naushera village on the outskirts of Amritsar on December 30, 2018.

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…
FBI Director Christopher Wray; CIA Director Gina Haspel; Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats; Gen. Robert Ashley, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency; Gen. Paul Nakasone, director of the National Security Agency; and Robert Cardillo, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency testify at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats" January 29, 2019 in Washington, DC.

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,…
One hundred cardboard cutouts of Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg stand outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, April 10, 2018. The cardboard cutouts wear shirts that read, "fix fakebook."

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…
FBI Director Christopher Wray; CIA Director Gina Haspel; Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats; Gen. Robert Ashley, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency; Gen. Paul Nakasone, director of the National Security Agency; and Robert Cardillo, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency await testify at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on "Worldwide Threats" January 29, 2019 in Washington, DC.

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…
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Ranking Member on the House Intelligence Committee, speaks with reporters on Capitol Hill on February 15, 2018 in Washington, DC.

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…
A new DJI Mavic Zoom drone flies during a product launch event at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, August 23, 2018 in New York City.

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…
Putin and Trump

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…
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