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.
1,846 Articles
Let’s Leave “Crisis” and “Emergency” For the Real Thing
Samantha Vinograd, who served on President Barack Obama’s National Security Council and as deputy U.S. Treasury attaché to Iraq during the Bush Administration, has recently…
Episode 59 of the National Security Law Podcast: Share the Cookies
We don’t lack for topics this week! In today’s episode, Professor Chesney and I eat a number of cookies while talking about the following: Rachel Brand steps down at DOJ. …
Left Out of the Party on Cloud Nine: A Response to Jennifer Daskal
A new bill meant to address cross-border access to data is not a cause for celebration. It fails to include fundamental safeguards to protect consumer's rights. The CLOUD Act would…
Why the White House “System” for Security Clearances is an Intelligence Emergency
Former Bush and Obama official explains what exactly the risks are in having so many White House officials serve under long-term interim security clearances. She looks at the downstream…
It is up to House Intel Committee, not Trump, whether to release Democratic memo on the Page FISA application
News stories and headlines are saying things like, "Trump Blocks Release of Memo Rebutting Republican Claims” (New York Times)--but that's not accurate. The House Intelligence…
Surveillance Law Backers’ ‘Willie Horton’ Tactics
In the aftermath of the renewal of a major U.S. surveillance law last month, anyone concerned about civil rights should be taking stock of both the government’s extensive surveillance…
The White House Latest Move to Undermine Congressional Authority
Lost in the back-and-forth over the Nunes memo, is a new effort to weaken Congressional oversight and misdirect Congress.
Dissecting the Grassley-Graham Letter’s Criticisms of the Carter Page FISA Application
In a recently released letter and accompanying memo, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley (R- Iowa) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) outline concerns that reinforce…
How Well Did the Nunes Memo Answer the ‘5 Questions’?
Before the House Intelligence Committee released the Nunes memo on Friday, Asha Rangappa, a former FBI special agent, highlighted five questions that the memo would need to address…
Timeline of Carter Page’s Contacts with Russia [Updated]
At the heart of the recent Nunes memo controversy lies a FISA order application for former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. But Page had piqued the interest of FBI investigators…
A Crisis for U.S. Intelligence Alliances—What the Nunes Memo Has Wrought
We’re facing a crisis of intelligence. It’s not because of a dereliction of duty, or a massive counterintelligence breach. It’s because the foundation for sharing intelligence…
Episode 57 of the National Security Law Podcast: About that #Mehmo (Special Edition on the Nunes Memo Release)
President Trump has declassified the Nunes Memo and it now is available to the public. Your hosts–Professor Bobby Chesney and I–give it a deep-dive review here in a special-edition…