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‘RED ALERT’: Legal Expert Warns New ‘Reform Bill’ Is the ‘Biggest Expansion of Surveillance’ Since the Patriot Act
“Buried in the House intelligence committee’s Section 702 ‘reform’ bill, which is scheduled for a floor vote as soon as tomorrow (12/12/23), is the biggest expansion of surveillance inside the United States since the Patriot Act,” warned Elizabeth Goitein (@LizaGoitein
) in a viral and disturbing X thread.
Elizabeth Goitein is a prominent legal expert specializing in national security, privacy, and constitutional issues. She serves as the co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, a non-partisan law and policy institute. Goitein is known for her expertise in areas such as government surveillance, privacy rights, and the balance between national security and civil liberties. She frequently writes and speaks on these topics, offering critical insights and advocating for the protection of individual rights in the context of national security.
The House Intelligence Committee’s FISA “Reform” Bill, known as the FRRA, is set to significantly expand the scope of entities required to assist in FISA 702 surveillance. This expansion is due to a change in the definition of “electronic communication service providers” (ECSPs), potentially implicating a wider range of businesses and individuals in surveillance activities. Critically, the bill could allow the government warrantless access to nearly any communication system in America.
Gotein stated that under the proposed bill, entities with access to communication-transmitting equipment, like Wi-Fi routers in “hotels, libraries, coffee shops,” could be “forced to serve as surrogate spies.” She stated that this is not a theoretical concern but a significant issue, as even FISA Court amici have publicly cautioned against this provision.
The following is the full text from Goitein’s X thread. This is an important read:
RED ALERT: Buried in the House Intelligence Committee’s Section 702 “reform” bill, which is scheduled for a floor vote as soon as tomorrow, is the biggest expansion of surveillance inside the United States since the Patriot Act. 1/11
Through a seemingly innocuous change to the definition of “electronic service communications provider,” the bill vastly expands the universe of U.S. businesses that can be conscripted to aid the government in conducting surveillance. 2/11
Under current law, the government can compel companies that have direct access to communications, such as phone, email, and text messaging service providers, to assist in Section 702 surveillance by turning over the communications of Section 702 targets. 3/11
Under Section 504 of the House Intelligence Committee’s bill, any entity that has access to equipment on which communications may be transmitted or stored, such as an ordinary router, is fair game. What does that mean in practice? It’s simple… 4/11
Hotels, libraries, coffee shops, and other places that offer Wi-Fi Wi-Fi to their customers could be forced to serve as surrogate spies. They could be required to configure their systems to ensure that they can provide the government access to entire streams of communications. 5/11
Even a repair person who comes to fix the Wi-Fi Wi-Fi in your home would meet the revised definition: that person is an “employee” of a “service provider” who has “access” to “equipment” (your router) on which communications are transmitted.
The bill’s sponsors deny that Section 504 is intended to sweep so broadly. What is the provision intended to do, and how is the government planning to use it? Sorry, that’s classified. 6/11
At the end of the day, though, the government’s claimed intent matters little. What matters is what the provision, on its face, actually allows—because, as we all know by now, the government will interpret and apply the law as broadly as it can get away with. 7/11
This isn’t a minor or theoretical concern. One of the FISA Court amici posted a blog to warn Americans about this provision. I can’t overstate how unusual it is for FISA Court amici to take to the airwaves in this manner. We’d be foolish to ignore it. 8/11
If you don’t want to have to worry that the NSA is tapping into communications at the hotel where you’re staying, tell your House representative to vote NO on the House intelligence bill this week. More on the many flaws with that bill here: 9/11
FISA “Reform” and Reauthorization Act: The Biggest Expansion in Government Surveillance Since the Patriot Act. 10/11
Instead, they should vote for the Protect Liberty & End Warrantless Surveillance Act, a bill passed by the House Judiciary Committee on a 35-2 vote that would reauthorize Sec. 702 with strong reforms to protect Americans’ privacy and civil liberties. 11/11