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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1,837 Articles

Top 4 Things to Look for in Mueller’s Report in Light of Barr’s Letter

Barr's letter leaves the most important questions at the heart of Mueller's counterintelligence investigation unanswered.

How not to think–and what the Mueller Report won’t tell us–about Trump’s efforts to obstruct the investigation

Back in December, I wrote a post about Bill Barr’s June 2018 memo to DOJ officials. In it, I was sharply critical of Barr’s understanding of the President’s…
A phone with nine dating apps.

Next Step in Disinformation: How a Dating App Becomes a Weapon

A former NATO secretary-general recently voiced concerns that Russia was using Ukraine’s upcoming elections as a laboratory for new forms of interference. A troubling case may…
People wait in line at Gatwick Airport on May 28, 2014 in London, England where Border Force check the passports of passengers.

New U.K. Border Security Law: A Frightening Response to the Skripal Poisoning

The British Home Office has quietly gone about making it easier to detain and interrogate travelers at its borders without "reasonable suspicion," and with little public notice.
Visitors look at the Samsung Home appliance smart Fridge at the 2018 IFA consumer electronics and home appliances trade fair during the fair's press day on August 30, 2018 in Berlin, Germany.

A Legislative Shot at Internet of Things Security

The IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2019 could shape cybersecurity standards for vulnerable IoT products.

Why it’s a mistake to be a-waitin’ “the” Mueller Report (and why you should instead focus on two other reports)

OLC’s governing view of the constitutionality of a grand jury indictment of a sitting president therefore doesn't stand in the way of DOJ providing a comprehensive account to…
Michael Cohen, former attorney and fixer for President Donald Trump makes a statement to the news media after testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill February 27, 2019 in Washington, DC.

‘Fixer’ Unbound: Public Confidence in Attorneys, Not Just the President, at Stake

Lawyers may be judged by the company they keep, but not by the clients they represent. Attorneys routinely advocate positions they disfavor on behalf of clients whose views and…
An MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle and F-16 Fighting Falcon return from an Operation Iraqi Freedom combat mission.

Reflecting on the Civilian Casualty Executive Order: What Was Lost and What Can Now Be Gained

What information did the public just lose with Trump's decision, and what can Congress do beyond just restoring it? Civilian casualties in wartime reporting and minimization.
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.
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