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.
1,837 Articles
Is Trump a Russian Agent?: Explaining Terms of Art and Examining the Facts
Former member of the CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service explains why CIA would never try to recruit someone with Donald Trump's profile, and what may also give the Kremlin pause…
Barr’s Redaction Process, cont’d
Attorney General William Barr testified at length last week, in the House and the Senate, about his ongoing process of redacting the Mueller Report in anticipation of sharing it…
Julian Assange and Omar al-Bashir: What Comes Next for Two Global Fugitives?
Yesterday was a breathtaking one for global criminal justice. First, British police arrested Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London and then, just hours later, the…
Assange Indictment Is Shot Across the Bow of Press Freedom
"The indictment seems to have been drafted not just to justify the prosecution of Assange but to tar legitimate journalistic activities by association with Assange’s alleged…
The Consequences of Legislating Cyberlaw After Terrorist Attacks
Hastily drafted laws passed under pressure tend to create new problems while doing little to counter threats from terrorists and violent extremists.
The Pentagon Wants to Streamline Security Clearances by Using AI. That’s a Dangerous Idea.
If DoD's new autonomous system goes awry, it could embed bias and a resistance to oversight. Is existence alone might jeopardize civil liberties, modify subjects’ behavior in…
Barr the Redactor?
[April 7 UPDATES noted.] In his March 29 letter, Attorney General William Barr informed the Chairs of the congressional Judiciary Committees that the report Special Counsel Robert…
Norms Watch: Damage to Democracy and Rule of Law in March 2019
Welcome to the latest installment of Norms Watch, our series tracking both the flouting of democratic norms by the Trump administration and the erosion of those norms in reactions…
Revisiting Carter Page
With Robert Mueller’s probe of Russian electoral interference finally complete—even though the public is still waiting to learn what it says—many Republicans are declaring…
The House Oversight Committee Squeeze on White House Security Practices
Over the last several weeks, the House Oversight and Reform Committee has been busy documenting allegations from a whistleblower who stepped forward to raise concerns about security…
The Missing Piece of the Mueller Investigation
What about the counterintelligence aspects of the probe? Where does the counterintelligence investigation now stand? What are the range of findings it may produce? And how may…
Fulfilling the Promise of the USA Freedom Act: Time to Truly End Bulk Collection of Americans’ Calling Records
The new Section 215 "call detail records" program is still ineffective and doesn't justify the privacy threats it poses.