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[rooster59]

Trump signs bill renewing NSA's internet surveillance programme

By Dustin Volz

 

U.S. President Donald Trump waves after addressing the annual March for Life rally, taking place on the National Mall, from the White House Rose Garden in Washington, U.S., January 19, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he signed into law a bill renewing the National Security Agency's warrantless internet surveillance programme, sealing a defeat for digital privacy advocates.

 

"Just signed 702 Bill to reauthorize foreign intelligence collection," Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to legislation passed by the U.S. Congress that extends Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

 

The law renews for six years and with minimal changes the National Security Agency (NSA) programme, which gathers information from foreigners overseas but incidentally collects an unknown amount of communications belonging to Americans.

 

The measure easily passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week despite mixed signals posted on Twitter by Trump and narrowly avoided a filibuster in the Senate earlier this week that split party lines. The measure had drawn opposition from a coalition of privacy-minded Democrats and libertarian Republicans.

 

In his tweet on Friday, Trump attempted to clarify why he signed the bill despite repeating an unsubstantiated claim that his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, ordered intelligence agencies to eavesdrop on Trump's 2016 Republican presidential campaign.

 

"This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election," Trump wrote. "I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first!"

 

Last September, the U.S. Justice Department said in a court filing that it had no evidence to support Trump's claim about improper surveillance during the campaign.

 

Without Trump's signature, Section 702 had been set to expire on Friday, though intelligence officials had said the surveillance programme could continue to operate until April.

 

Under the law, the NSA is allowed to eavesdrop on vast amounts of digital communications from foreigners living outside the United States via U.S. companies like Facebook Inc <FB.O>, Verizon Communications Inc <VZ.N> and Alphabet Inc's <GOOGL.O> Google.

 

But the programme also incidentally scoops up Americans' communications, including when they communicate with a foreign target living overseas, and can search those messages without a warrant.

 

The White House, U.S. intelligence agencies and congressional Republican leaders have said the programme is indispensable to national security, vital to protecting U.S. allies and needs little or no revision.

 

Privacy advocates say it allows the NSA and other intelligence agencies to grab data belonging to Americans in a way that represents an affront to the U.S. Constitution.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-01-20

 

 

[keith101]

Its ok as long as they can spy on him as well

[PatOngo]

Spying bastards!

[spidermike007]

In his entire career as president, however long that lasts, he will never, ever do anything that benefits the average American. He will always side with corporations over citizens, and he will always support the NSA, and the ability to spy on American citizens. Especially, now that the NSA director has lied for him, under oath, about the shi***le comment. Of course, it appears the FBI cannot count on him for support. But, the surveillance community can. 

[riclag]

I prefer no collection /spying but, I'll take this for the meantime. 

 

"As it was, the bill that passed House and Senate does require, for the first time according to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), that the government obtain a warrant to access data on U.S. persons in criminal investigations and will prevent the FBI from using information collected incidentally from such communications in criminal investigations. Goodlatte said the bill does have meaningful reforms, and he would have preferred more, but that the option was not between a perfect bill and letting the FISA section sunset".

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/fisa-reauthorization-passes-senate/171213

Edited January 20, 2018 by riclag

[William C F Pierce]

It won't stop Putin doing what he likes with the American Internet.

[mike324]

What a hypocrite, wasn't he slamming the surveillance program, now he renews it!

[mrwebb8825]

On 1/20/2018 at 2:54 PM, spidermike007 said:

In his entire career as president, however long that lasts, he will never, ever do anything that benefits the average American. He will always side with corporations over citizens, and he will always support the NSA, and the ability to spy on American citizens. Especially, now that the NSA director has lied for him, under oath, about the shi***le comment. Of course, it appears the FBI cannot count on him for support. But, the surveillance community can. 

The NSA isn't a corporation. Keep in mind going forward that they now have the right to surveil you. 

[mikebike]

On 1/20/2018 at 3:29 PM, riclag said:

I prefer no collection /spying but, I'll take this for the meantime. 

 

"As it was, the bill that passed House and Senate does require, for the first time according to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), that the government obtain a warrant to access data on U.S. persons in criminal investigations and will prevent the FBI from using information collected incidentally from such communications in criminal investigations. Goodlatte said the bill does have meaningful reforms, and he would have preferred more, but that the option was not between a perfect bill and letting the FISA section sunset".

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/fisa-reauthorization-passes-senate/171213

The gov't has always had to acquire a warrant on US persons in criminal investigations. In FISA investigations of foreign nationals some, dubious, US citizens have gotten caught up in the spying on foreign "terrorists". Preventing the FBI from using the questionably acquired intel in criminal investigations seems curiously beneficial to those under investigation by Mr. Mueller and meaningless to 99.9% of the US population.

 

Also in the article you quoted the Democrat interviewed has a totally different opinion on the amendments to the legislation:

“We need to strike a balance between liberty and security and not give the government unchecked surveillance power," said Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce Committe and a fan of the stronger protections for communications that did not make it onto the bill. "That’s why I opposed today’s surveillance legislation because it will allow the government to spy on American citizens.  We can and should provide for intelligence gathering against terrorism while still protecting Americans’ privacy.”