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
We Know a Lot More About U.S. Spying Since Section 702’s Last Reauthorization
As Congress finally starts to debate whether to reauthorize Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act before it expires at the end of this year, it’s important to remember that…
A Security Clearance Nightmare
As President, Donald Trump obviously has the right to hire and fire his top advisors as he sees fit. However, when the President indicates he may fire someone because they are…
A Baker’s Dozen of Additional Questions for the Russia Investigation
In her recent post, “20 Questions That Should Be Answered by the Russia Investigations,” Faiza Patel enumerates a series of questions that should be addressed by the various…
Sonic “Attacks” on US Diplomats in Cuba: Don’t Rush to Conclusions
Reports of “health attacks” in Cuba which left several American and Canadian diplomats with health problems and hearing loss has led to wide and dramatic speculation. Several…
Opponents of Closing Sec. 702’s Backdoor Search Loophole are Distorting How the Fix Works
With less than five months to go until Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) expires, we still do not have a clear path forward to a reauthorization that…
In the U.S.-U.K. Deal, Both Sides Deserve Scrutiny
We recently published an analysis in Lawfare of the United Kingdom’s surveillance framework as it relates to the proposed U.S.-U.K. agreement for cross-border law enforcement…
Trump’s New War on Leaks: Reporters Caught in the Crossfire?
At a press conference on August 4, Attorney General Jeff Sessions condemned “in the strongest possible terms the staggering number of leaks” of classified national security…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (July 21-July 28)
Editor’s Note: 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…
We Are Already in a State of Emergency
As Trump reissues his “lock her up” talk against Hillary Clinton and assaults the Justice Department, FBI, and media, the Brennan Center recently had a prescient meeting about…
Fighting Terrorism Without Dividing Us: Why Congress Must Look Beyond Countering Violent Extremism
On Thursday July 27, the National Security Subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing on “Combatting Homegrown Terrorism.”…
Q&A on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Decision to Subpoena Manafort
On Monday night, the leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to compel Paul Manafort, the former chairman of the Trump presidential campaign, to testify at a…
Norms Watch: Democracy, the Trump Administration, and Reactions to It (July 14-July 21)
Editor’s Note: 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…