UNITED STATES — As the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's Section 702 approaches its expiration date at the end of the year, the Biden administration is urging Congress to renew the law for spy agencies to intercept huge amounts of foreign emails and phone calls.
Critics on both sides of the aisle have raised privacy concerns after the FBI's mishandling of intelligence data that led to the misuse of Americans' information. However, the administration is highlighting incidents of electronic surveillance catching fentanyl smugglers and hackers who temporarily shut down a significant U.S. fuel pipeline to demonstrate the importance of renewing the legislation.
To bolster its case, the White House recently declassified fresh examples of electronic surveillance under Section 702. VOA news reports.
Among the highlights were stopping the tracking of Chinese dissidents by Beijing, warning an American being targeted by foreign spies seeking details on weapons of mass destruction, and identifying the culprits linked to last year's Iran-led ransomware attack against nonprofit groups. Meanwhile, the National Security Agency has given credit to Section 702 in neutralizing al-Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahri and providing the daily intelligence briefing to the president and other high-ranking officials.
However, the legislation allows spy agencies to gather large swaths of foreign communications, exposing the data of American citizens, thus raising concerns of warrantless searches. The FBI maintains that new training and stricter rules have reduced the number of searches, but Congress is considering passing additional safeguards to protect citizens' privacy.
While supporters of the legislation argue that imposing warrant requirements could impede anti-terrorism measures, critics contend that it would prevent potential abuses of surveillance power.
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