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
Carpenter Ruling Brings Us Back From Brink of Orwellian Surveillance State
Orwell described a world where limitless surveillance makes us question every action, every thought. Last Friday’s decision in Carpenter v. United States brought us one step…
The Broad Reach of Carpenter v. United States
By focusing on the nature of the information rather than on the telecommunications nitty-gritty used to gather the information or the structure of the database in which the information…
What Is the Next Line of Defense Against Torture?
Gina Haspel’s recent elevation to director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) despite her involvement in the George W. Bush administration’s prisoner abuse program and…
Trump as a Russian Target – Through the Eyes of a former CIA Russian Expert
Donald Trump would have been an active target of Russian intelligence since the moment they laid eyes on him for two reasons that come straight from the classical espionage textbook:…
Exigent Circumstances: iOS 12’s USB Restricted Mode and Warrantless iPhone Access
Apple recently confirmed the introduction of a new feature called “USB Restricted Mode” in the latest version of the iPhone’s mobile operating system, iOS 12. If enabled…
Dangerous Drone Bill Emerges from Senate Committee
It’s rare that a congressional committee tasked with overseeing homeland security approves a bill that would not only authorize sweeping surveillance, but also could pose a significant…
Testimony from the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Hearing on Election Interference
Ryan Goodman, Just Security‘s co-editor-in-chief, is testifying on Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of its hearing on, “Election Interference:…
What If Police Use ‘Rekognition’ Without Telling Defendants?
At least two US law enforcement departments -- and Motorola, which sells equipment to the government -- have already purchased access to Amazon’s “Rekognition” system. This…
Both the US’s Cloud Act and Europe’s GDPR Move Far Beyond Geography, but Will Not Solve Transatlantic Jurisdictional Conflicts
Europe’s destination approach of cyberspace privacy builds up to extraterritorial jurisdiction Among the many rather general issues discussed in Mark Zuckerberg’s hearing before…
Policy and Legal Implications of European Court’s Ruling on CIA “Black Sites”
A Casa 235 turboprop plane at Ruzyne Airport April 8, 2005 in Prague, Czech Republic before leaving for Afghanistan. According to airport flight records the plane was registered…
Did Russian Trolls Have Company?: New Evidence on Israel-based PSY-Group’s Possible Social Media Efforts in 2016 US Election
Much ink has been spilled on the role of the Russia-backed Internet Research Agency’s engaging in disinformation tactics to help the Trump campaign. The intelligence firm and…
A Model for Improving Cooperation in Cyber – the Highway Safety Act?
A new piece of bipartisan legislation—the “Enhancing Grid Security through Public-Private Partnerships Act” (HR 5240)—was reported out of the House Energy and Commerce…