PD Editorial: Protect Americans’ privacy from overzealous FBI snooping
May 13, 2020
THE EDITORIAL BOARD, BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD
COVID-19 might be getting most of the attention these days, but Congress is still working on other items. In fact, this week, the Senate could reauthorize a secretive surveillance court. California Sens. Diane Feinstein and Kamala Harris should join the bipartisan group of lawmakers demanding reforms to protect Americans' civil liberties.
At issue is the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the associated FISA court. Without getting too far into the weeds, the court reviews FBI requests to spy on Americans suspected of illegally working with foreign agents. Agents use the information gathered to protect the country against espionage and foreign-hatched plans to harm Americans and American interests.
In theory, the court is supposed to strike a balance between safeguarding the country and safeguarding civil liberties. It operates in secret because it can't exactly let suspects know they're about to be surveilled. Yet such power also must be granted rarely lest government run roughshod over First Amendment and Fourth Amendment free speech and privacy protections.
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/opinion/pd-editorial-protect-americans-privacy-from-overzealous-fbi-snooping/