{"id":2049535,"date":"2023-09-29T12:19:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T16:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-spy-on-americans-without-court-approval-watchdog\/"},"modified":"2023-09-29T12:26:38","modified_gmt":"2023-09-29T16:26:38","slug":"fbi-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-spy-on-americans-without-court-approval-watchdog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-spy-on-americans-without-court-approval-watchdog\/","title":{"rendered":"Watchdog: FBI must have court approval to spy on Americans."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffbi-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-spy-on-americans-without-court-approval-watchdog%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2049535&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>The FBI and Other Intelligence Agencies Should Require Court Approval to Access Spy Data on Americans, Watchdog Says<\/h2>\n<p>Congress should mandate that\u200c analysts from the FBI and three other agencies \u200cobtain authorization from the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court before searching for information \u200bon Americans\u2063 in \u200ca vast database, according to \u200dthe Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight \u200cBoard. In a \u2064nearly 300-page report, the \u200dboard emphasized the importance of \u200bindividualized and particularized judicial review to safeguard Americans&#8217; privacy rights.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The board&#8217;s report, released on Sept. 28, \u2063states that \u2064&#8221;The most critical safeguard for Americans&#8217; privacy rights\u200c is to require individualized and particularized judicial review for all U.S. person query\u200b terms.&#8221; You\u200c can read the full report <a href=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/23997056-privacy-and-civil-liberties-oversight-board-report-on-fisa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/bipartisan-lawmakers-express-outrage-over-fbi-misuse-of-surveillance-tool-to-spy-on-americans-5279289?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Bipartisan Lawmakers Express Outrage Over FBI\u200c Misuse of\u200d Surveillance\u2063 Tool\u200d to\u2062 Spy on Americans<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">5\/19\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/bipartisan-lawmakers-express-outrage-over-fbi-misuse-of-surveillance-tool-to-spy-on-americans-5279289?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/fbi-improperly-used-surveillance-program-to-spy-on-jan-6-suspects-5278721?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>FBI Improperly Used\u200d Surveillance\u2064 Program to Spy\u2064 on Jan. 6 Suspects<\/h3>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">5\/19\/2023<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/fbi-improperly-used-surveillance-program-to-spy-on-jan-6-suspects-5278721?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Sharon Bradford Franklin, chair of\u200c the\u2062 panel and a Democrat appointee, \u200bexpressed \u2063concerns about \u2062the FBI&#8217;s warrantless searches of the \u200ddatabase \u200dfor information on Americans. She stated that the bureau has \u200cfailed to demonstrate the &#8220;unique \u2064value in criminal investigations&#8221; resulting from\u200d these searches and has \u2064shown &#8220;disturbing and continuing compliance\u200b violations&#8221; of\u2064 the search\u2064 rules.<\/p>\n<p>While the\u200c FBI \u2064has made \u200bsome changes, Franklin emphasized the need for independent and\u2063 external review due to the persistent pattern of noncompliance. Under Section \u2063702 \u200dof the \u2063Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, \u2064government agencies \u2063can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-government-makes-your-bank-spy-on-you\/\" title=\"How Government Makes Your Bank Spy on You\">conduct warrantless searches<\/a> on non-Americans \u2063outside the United States, \u2062which may incidentally collect information on Americans. \u2062The \u2063FBI,\u200b CIA, NSA, and \u2064National Counterterrorism Center can search the\u200b database\u2062 without court approval.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode post-related-videos\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"lazyload-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>However,\u2064 the agencies currently\u200d have access to data acquired\u200b through warrantless searches without a court order, despite repeated\u2064 violations of the \u200daccess rules.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>FBI\u2062 workers\u2064 have repeatedly violated the rules \u200bfor using\u2062 the database, including \u200bconducting inappropriate searches for a U.S. senator and Jan. 6, 2021, protesters, \u2064as confirmed \u200dby courts and watchdogs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ms. Franklin and\u2063 two\u200d other Democrat appointees \u2063voted \u2062to release the report, while the \u200btwo Republican appointees voted against its release.<\/p>\n<p>Although \u200dall\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/north-dakota-school-board-scraps-pledge-of-allegiance-because-its-simply-not-true\/\" title=\"North Dakota School Board Scraps Pledge of Allegiance Because It\u2019s \u2018Simply Not True\u2019\">board members agree<\/a> on the\u200c value of Section 702, they differ on how to improve it. Republicans Beth Williams and Richard DiZinno argue\u2064 that the Foreign Intelligence \u2062Surveillance Court is not the appropriate body to review \u2063proposed queries. Instead,\u200c they \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-spy-on-americans-without-court-approval-watchdog\/\" title=\"Watchdog: FBI must have court approval to spy on Americans.\">propose\u2063 agencies \u2062sending reports<\/a> to Congress on sensitive queries that have already been conducted, ensuring\u2063 prompt awareness of any potential\u2062 misuse of intelligence \u2063authority.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>In an\u2064 unsealed opinion from May, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court stated that\u2064 the FBI uses its own standards for Section \u200d702\u2064 searches, requiring \u200bqueries to be &#8220;reasonably likely&#8221; to retrieve foreign intelligence \u200dinformation or evidence \u2063of \u2064a crime. However, the court found \u200bthat FBI workers were violating this standard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>These violations included \u200bsearches for information on suspected or confirmed \u200dJan.\u2063 6\u200b suspects, donors\u200b to a congressional campaign, and\u200b individuals involved in\u200b protests and\u2063 riots following the killing of George\u200c Floyd in Minnesota.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI \u200bclaims to have\u2064 implemented reforms \u200cafter these improper\u2063 searches, including enhanced training for workers on proper database \u2064access. A bureau spokesperson previously stated, &#8220;The errors described in the Foreign Intelligence\u200c Surveillance Court&#8217;s opinion are completely unacceptable. As\u200b a result of the\u2062 audits \u2064that revealed these instances of \u2063noncompliance, the FBI changed \u2062its querying procedures to\u200c make sure\u200c these errors do not \u200dhappen \u200dagain.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Earlier this year, data revealed that 4 percent of recent \u200dqueries \u200bviolated the FBI&#8217;s\u200d standards.<\/p>\n<p>The privacy board\u2064 emphasized that\u200d searches for Americans&#8217; information &#8220;present some of the most \u2062serious privacy \u200cand <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/quebec-is-now-under-the-equivalent-of-covid-martial-law-no-one-is-allowed-on-the-streets-after-8pm-till-5am\/\" title=\"Quebec Is Now Under the Equivalent of COVID \u2018Martial Law\u2019 \u2013 No One is Allowed on the Streets after 8pm Till 5am\">civil liberties<\/a> harms.&#8221; They noted that, in most cases,\u200b government officials are \u200cnot required to \u2063demonstrate suspicion \u2063of wrongdoing regarding the Americans\u200b they\u200c seek information on.<\/p>\n<p>According \u200cto the board, the\u2062 FBI&#8217;s\u2062 practices pose the greatest\u200c threats to Americans&#8217; privacy. While there have been\u2062 some reforms in recent years, they have \u200dnot \u2062adequately \u2062protected privacy and civil liberties.<\/p>\n<p>One\u200b of\u2062 the FBI&#8217;s violative practices \u2064is\u200b the failure to request a warrant from the \u2062Foreign Intelligence \u200cSurveillance \u200dCourt \u2063to\u200b search the database.\u200d In 2021\u200b and\u2062 2022, there were six instances where such an order was required, but FBI personnel neglected to seek one.<\/p>\n<p>Although the FBI has reduced \u200dthe number of\u2063 searches conducted, it still performs\u2064 significantly\u2063 more searches than the other \u2063agencies. \u2064In 2022, \u200cthe FBI conducted 119,383\u2064 searches for information on Americans,\u200d compared\u200d to a combined total of 4,684 searches by the CIA, NSA, and National Counterterrorism Center.<\/p>\n<p>The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, established \u200cin 2007 based on\u200b the 9\/11 Commission&#8217;s recommendation, operates within the \u2062executive branch.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Section 702 is set to \u200dexpire\u2063 at the\u200c end of the year. Some lawmakers are pushing for reforms \u2063to the law,\u200c while the \u2063White House opposes reauthorization.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The \u200bFBI and the White House did not respond to requests for comment on the new report.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Some Republicans have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fact-check-did-glenn-youngkin-call-covid-19-relief-unnecessary-in-a-may-12-interview\/\" title=\"FACT CHECK: Did Glenn Youngkin Call COVID-19 Relief \u2018Unnecessary\u2019 In A May 12 Interview?\">previously expressed support<\/a> for requiring court\u2064 approval to access the database, while some \u2062Democrats aim to enhance \u2064the protection of Americans&#8217; communications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The \u2063last \u200creport from the privacy board\u2064 on FISA was\u2062 issued in\u200d 2014,\u200b with unanimous approval of 10 recommendations.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are the \u200bconcerns raised by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board regarding FBI searches of the database?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  FBI searches of the database violated the agency&#8217;s internal rules, leading to concerns about the potential infringement of\u200c Americans&#8217;\u200c privacy rights. In response to\u200b these concerns, the Privacy \u200cand Civil Liberties Oversight Board, an independent agency within the executive branch, has released a report calling for stricter safeguards to protect\u200d citizens&#8217; privacy.<\/p>\n<p>The report emphasizes the need for individualized and particularized \u200cjudicial \u2062review through the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance\u2063 Court. The board argues that this requirement for court approval is the most \u200dcritical safeguard for Americans&#8217; \u2063privacy\u200d rights.<\/p>\n<p>Sharon Bradford Franklin, the chair of the panel and a Democrat appointee, has expressed concerns about the FBI&#8217;s warrantless searches of the database for information on Americans. She has highlighted\u200c the bureau&#8217;s\u2062 failure\u2064 to demonstrate the unique value of these searches in criminal \u200binvestigations and its disturbing and continuing compliance violations of the search rules.<\/p>\n<p>Section 702 of \u2062the Foreign \u200cIntelligence Surveillance Act allows government agencies to conduct warrantless searches on\u2063 non-Americans outside the United States,\u2064 incidentally\u2062 collecting information on Americans. The FBI, CIA,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A watchdog suggests that the FBI and other intelligence agencies must obtain court approval before accessing spy data on Americans. Congress should mandate authorization from the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for analysts to search a vast database containing information collected through warrantless searches. Three other agencies are also included in this recommendation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":2049536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2049535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2049535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/75"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2049535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2049535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2049536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2049535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2049535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2049535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}