Reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) without meaningful reforms

Friend, a quick update on where things stand in the fight to protect your privacy. Buckle in.  Late last week, the Senate blocked a vote on a bill that would’ve reauthorized the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) without meaningful reforms. This was after over 1,500 of you emailed your members of Congress to demand reforms and push back against the installation of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. As a reminder, Pulte has no experience in national security and has a track record of weaponizing government systems against the president’s rivals.  The blocked bill proves that many of your representatives know, like you do, that warrantless surveillance is unacceptable, and that they’re worried these tools are going in the wrong hands.  It’s important to note: The problems with government surveillance go far deeper than Pulte or any single person. We need serious, urgent reforms to protect your privacy rights. Your support is making it possible for POGO experts to brief congressional offices, keep your concerns front of mind, and keep the momentum for reform alive.

Defend privacy rights

A reminder of the stakes here:  Because of loopholes in FISA, thousands of people just like you have their calls, emails, and text messages swept up and searched, all without a warrant. The data broker loophole, in particular, allows government agencies to buy their way around your Fourth Amendment privacy rights, going directly to data brokers to purchase things like your browsing history, call logs, and location without your knowledge — or a warrant. With the explosion of AI since the last authorization of FISA, technology has outpaced policy. The potential for abuse, and the scale of abuse, is turbocharged.

We need guardrails and we need them now.   Whether or not Congress manages to pull its act together before the coming June 12 deadline, the message must be clear: No FISA reauthorization without reforms to protect your privacy. The Fourth Amendment and your constitutional rights are NOT optional. Email your members of Congress and tell them to reform FISA now.  The mass surveillance apparatus has gone unchecked for far too long, friend . You have the power to change that. We just need to use our voices.  Thank you for speaking up when it matters most.    — POGO

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