FBI Misused Surveillance Tool 278K+ Times: Report

FBI Improperly Used Huge Database Over 278,000 Times to Collect Info on Americans

A newly-released court document reveals that the FBI has been using a massive database improperly, violating the three-part standard articulated by the government over 278,000 times to collect information about American citizens. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court supervises the Section 702 database, which can be examined by the National Security Agency and the FBI. The FBI is only permitted to search the database when they believe information related to foreign intelligence can be found.

Compliance Problems Persist

According to Judge Rudolph Contreras of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the FBI frequently violated the three-part standard articulated by the government. The court detailed roughly 300,000 abuses logged between 2020 and early 2021. “Nonetheless, compliance problems with the querying of Section 702 information have proven to be persistent and widespread,” Contreras argued. “If they are not substantially mitigated by these recent measures, it may become necessary to consider other responses, such as substantially limiting the number of FBI personnel with access to unminimized Section 702 information.”

FBI Manipulated Categorization of January 6-Related Investigations

After the events of January 6, 2021, an FBI employee ran 23,132 separate queries of presumed Americans “to find indications of foreign influence related to the query term used,” according to Contreras. According to whistleblower information, the FBI has manipulated the manner in which it categorized January 6-related investigations to create a misleading narrative that domestic terrorism is organically surging around the country, a House Judiciary Committee and Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government report stated, according to The Washington Examiner.

What Does This Mean?

• The FBI has been using a massive database improperly, violating the three-part standard articulated by the government over 278,000 times to collect information about American citizens.
• Compliance problems with the querying of Section 702 information have proven to be persistent and widespread.
• The FBI has manipulated the manner in which it categorized January 6-related investigations to create a misleading narrative that domestic terrorism is organically surging around the country.

It is important to stay informed about the actions of our government agencies and hold them accountable for any violations of our rights and privacy.