April 18, 2024 at 01:35PM The US House of Representatives passed the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act (H.R.4639) to restrict the government’s ability to procure data on citizens through data brokers. The bill seeks to ban the government from purchasing data on Americans from data brokers, drawing divided opinions. Additionally, other surveillance-related bills … Read more
April 13, 2024 at 09:54AM The House approved a bill to reauthorize the U.S. government surveillance program by a bipartisan vote of 273-147. Speaker Johnson faced criticism from conservatives, with the bill being amended to extend the program for two years. The legislation faced opposition and will require an additional vote. The program is set … Read more
February 6, 2024 at 06:18AM A recent report from Google revealed that over 60 zero-day vulnerabilities in Apple, Adobe, Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla products since 2016 are linked to commercial spyware vendors. These companies allegedly aid governments in targeting individuals, contradicting claims of lawful surveillance. The vendors pay millions for exploits, and Google’s Threat Analysis … Read more
December 6, 2023 at 02:59PM U.S. Senator Ron Wyden disclosed that governments worldwide request mobile push notifications from Apple and Google to surveil users. Wyden urged the DOJ to allow tech companies transparency regarding these demands. Both companies have voiced support for informing users about such government data requests in their transparency reports. Meeting Takeaways: … Read more
November 15, 2023 at 09:10AM FBI Director Christopher Wray urged lawmakers to reject a proposed warrant requirement for accessing data obtained through FISA Section 702. This amendment to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows warrantless surveillance of foreigners’ communications, also collects information on US persons. Wray emphasized the risks and resource limitations of implementing … Read more