NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has sounded the alarm over a new bill that could significantly expand the US government’s surveillance powers, warning that the NSA is “one step away from a takeover” The internet is only a few days old”.
Just the NSA? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Since it took over the internet, it hasn’t been on the front page of any newspaper – because no one noticed. https://t.co/qp5BimwOjI
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) April 15, 2024
The bill amending Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) has passed the U.S. House of Representatives despite strong opposition from privacy advocates and some politicians.
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- A new bill amending Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) could significantly expand the surveillance powers of the National Security Agency.
- The bill would allow the National Security Agency to compel various businesses and individuals that provide Internet-related services to assist in surveillance operations.
- Those forced to hand over data will be subject to strict gag orders, preventing them from discussing the information provided.
- Critics, including Edward Snowden, Senator Ron Wyden and Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, have fiercely opposed the bill, calling it a gross overreach of government surveillance powers and a threat to constitutional rights .
- Despite criticism, the bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is set for a vote in the Senate on April 19.
Proposed changes to FISA 702 would allow the NSA to compel a wide range of businesses and individuals that provide Internet-related services to assist in surveillance operations.
This could include forcing small businesses such as barbershops, laundromats and dental offices that provide Wi-Fi to customers to hand over sensitive data.
Additionally, the bill would impose strict gag orders on those required to provide information, preventing them from discussing the data they are forced to share.
Critics of the bill, including Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Project at the Brennan Center for Justice, warned that the amendment represented a gross overreach of government surveillance powers.
If the bill becomes law, any company or person providing any service could be forced to assist NSA surveillance as long as they have access to equipment that transmits or stores communications, such as routers, servers, cell towers, etc. 6/25
— Elizabeth Goitein (@LizaGoitein) April 15, 2024
Goitein worries that even cleaners, plumbers and IT service providers with access to laptops and routers in people’s homes could be forced to act as “proxy spies” for the NSA.
The bill drew sharp criticism from both sides of the political aisle. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden described the bill as “one of the most dramatic and horrific expansions of government surveillance powers in history” and vowed to do everything in his power to prevent it from passing the Senate.
Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who voted against the bill in the House, called Section 702 an “irresponsible extension” of the NSA’s powers and argued that if government agencies wanted To obtain data, a search warrant must be obtained.
Despite strong opposition, The bill has moved forward and is scheduled for a vote in the Senate on April 19.
If passed into law, the amendment could give the NSA sweeping powers to monitor and collect data, raising serious concerns about the potential for erosion and abuse of civil liberties.
