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.
1,852 Articles
A Caution on Congressional Subpoenas and “Constitutional Crisis”
Last week, as part of its ongoing investigation into White House security clearance procedures, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform subpoenaed former White House personnel…
New DoD Policy on Amends Needs to Address Transparency Gap
New information from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) reveals a previously unrecognized transparency gap in the U.S. military’s efforts to acknowledge and address civilian…
The (Redacted) Mueller Report: First Takes from the Experts
A roundup of leading experts' views on the publicly released — and redacted — Mueller report.
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…