When we learned about rampid covert government surveillance of US citizens, Congress gave us FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The Act was structured to limit how and when the FBI, CIA, NSA and other agencies could spy on the American people. Since that legislation draft back in 1978. However, surveillance techniques have evolved. Also in the wake of 911. Restrictions on spying have relaxed as the alphabet of defense agencies have expanded with the DHS and the DOD and so on. So here we are in 2023. With the government now surveilling people sounds warrant basically respecting privacy rights, like Trump respects gag orders, we need to push back. Specifically, we need to support the government surveillance Reform Act of 2023 gsra They call it the bipartisan legislation that was put up in the Senate last week takes FISA a step further by preventing abuses of power while taking us a step back in terms of reversing the erosion of privacy rights. This legislation would be a big deal as law enforcement illegal surveillance has been a big problem. According to a report recently released by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, intelligence officials conducted more than 200,000 purportedly inadvertent searches of Americans communications in just 2022 alone, and that was a stark improvement from previous years. It was in fact a 98% improvement to be exact, before being reined in by the FISA court for persistent and widespread FISA violations. The FBI was intercepting communications of hundreds of 1000s of Americans from social justice protesters to members of Congress to congressional campaign donors. Everybody’s business was in these government streets. I’m talking about warrantless search. I’m talking like all the time. It’s like the Fourth Amendment was merely advisory for the feds, and all they had to offer us in response was oops, we the people deserve better. Like actual privacy rights. We deserve to know that the intelligence community isn’t simply trimming a little fat off of the constitution so it can surveil my DNS. If passed the gsra would help curb such abuses. It will require officials to obtain a warrant and a criminal or FISA court before performing searches for Americans communications. Last I checked that would simply be complying with the Fourth Amendment, but hey, I will take it at this point.
The gsra also would prohibit agencies from accessing and buying databases of vast amounts of highly sensitive information on Americans. You know, because capitalism is king and everything’s for sale, this data broker business has been going on behind closed doors for decades now giving law enforcement a workaround to otherwise warrant requisite searches. Another pivotal part of gsra is a provision that would restrict law enforcement ability to capture location information from cell phones, car computers and other digital signals without a warrant. None of these proposed changes are wild. Perhaps that’s why both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate can get behind it. But now we must as citizens do the same by contacting our representatives, demanding they support the gsra slicer was good for where we were back in 78. But we need legislation that aligns with the times and the government level of abuses. Because no matter how many decades pass, protecting privacy rights never goes out of style,
Related
Adrienne Lawrence
Legal analyst, law professor & award-winning author
View Video LibraryCommentary
Our commentary partners will help you reach your own conclusions on complex topics.
Why interest rates will be higher for longer
Yesterday
Peter Zeihan
‘The worst it’s ever been’: Young Americans on democracy
Thursday
Dr. Frank Luntz
How to handle plunging US birth rate before it’s too late
Thursday
Peter Zeihan
Japan must confront reality of military threats
Wednesday
Peter Zeihan
All Americans should support proposed privacy bill
Nov 15, 2023
By Straight Arrow News
The aftermath of 9/11 ushered in a new era of warrantless mass surveillance in the United States. Now, a proposed bill with broad bipartisan support hopes to change that. The Government Surveillance Reform Act (GSRA) seeks to restrict U.S. government agencies from exploiting loopholes and bulk purchasing sensitive personal data on American citizens.
Straight Arrow News contributor Adrienne Lawrence encourages all Americans to support the bill regardless of their political opinions. She reminds us that the GSRA has broad bipartisan support and concludes that this is our best opportunity to regulate government surveillance.
The GSRA also would prohibit agencies from accessing and buying databases of vast amounts of highly sensitive information on Americans. You know, because capitalism is king and everything’s for sale, this data broker business has been going on behind closed doors for decades now, giving law enforcement a workaround to otherwise warrant-requisite searches. Another pivotal part of GSRA is a provision that would restrict law enforcement’s ability to capture location information from cell phones, car computers and other digital signals without a warrant.
None of these proposed changes are wild. Perhaps that’s why both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate can get behind it. But now we must as citizens do the same by contacting our representatives, demanding they support the GSRA.
FISA was good for where we were back in 1978, but we need legislation that aligns with the times and the government level of abuses. Because no matter how many decades pass, protecting privacy rights never goes out of style.
When we learned about rampid covert government surveillance of US citizens, Congress gave us FISA, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The Act was structured to limit how and when the FBI, CIA, NSA and other agencies could spy on the American people. Since that legislation draft back in 1978. However, surveillance techniques have evolved. Also in the wake of 911. Restrictions on spying have relaxed as the alphabet of defense agencies have expanded with the DHS and the DOD and so on. So here we are in 2023. With the government now surveilling people sounds warrant basically respecting privacy rights, like Trump respects gag orders, we need to push back. Specifically, we need to support the government surveillance Reform Act of 2023 gsra They call it the bipartisan legislation that was put up in the Senate last week takes FISA a step further by preventing abuses of power while taking us a step back in terms of reversing the erosion of privacy rights. This legislation would be a big deal as law enforcement illegal surveillance has been a big problem. According to a report recently released by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, intelligence officials conducted more than 200,000 purportedly inadvertent searches of Americans communications in just 2022 alone, and that was a stark improvement from previous years. It was in fact a 98% improvement to be exact, before being reined in by the FISA court for persistent and widespread FISA violations. The FBI was intercepting communications of hundreds of 1000s of Americans from social justice protesters to members of Congress to congressional campaign donors. Everybody’s business was in these government streets. I’m talking about warrantless search. I’m talking like all the time. It’s like the Fourth Amendment was merely advisory for the feds, and all they had to offer us in response was oops, we the people deserve better. Like actual privacy rights. We deserve to know that the intelligence community isn’t simply trimming a little fat off of the constitution so it can surveil my DNS. If passed the gsra would help curb such abuses. It will require officials to obtain a warrant and a criminal or FISA court before performing searches for Americans communications. Last I checked that would simply be complying with the Fourth Amendment, but hey, I will take it at this point.
The gsra also would prohibit agencies from accessing and buying databases of vast amounts of highly sensitive information on Americans. You know, because capitalism is king and everything’s for sale, this data broker business has been going on behind closed doors for decades now giving law enforcement a workaround to otherwise warrant requisite searches. Another pivotal part of gsra is a provision that would restrict law enforcement ability to capture location information from cell phones, car computers and other digital signals without a warrant. None of these proposed changes are wild. Perhaps that’s why both Republicans and Democrats in the Senate can get behind it. But now we must as citizens do the same by contacting our representatives, demanding they support the gsra slicer was good for where we were back in 78. But we need legislation that aligns with the times and the government level of abuses. Because no matter how many decades pass, protecting privacy rights never goes out of style,
Related
NYPD’s lack of lawsuit disclosure shields it from accountability
An examination of public records obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests revealed that nearly 13,000 legal cases brought against the New York City Police Department (NYPD) resulting in settlements or monetary awards over the past decade were not publicly disclosed, despite legal requirements to do so. Some analysts suggest that the NYPD’s failure…
Wednesday
Students learning brutal lesson on how police respond to protests
Student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza have escalated in the United States and around the world as civilian death counts in both Gaza and the West Bank continue to climb. Estimates show Israeli forces killed at least 42,500 Palestinians since Oct. 7, 2023, and another two million survivors have been displaced from their homes.…
May 1
Supreme Court must end criminalization of homelessness
On April 22, the U.S. Supreme Court addressed the nation’s homelessness crisis, considering whether an Oregon city had the right to ban homeless people from camping in public spaces. A majority of justices appeared inclined to support the city’s efforts to regulate homeless encampments on public grounds. This decision carries significant implications for the growing…
Apr 24
Why are non-consensual pelvic exams still happening?
More states are beginning to crack down on the surprisingly common practice of medical students and professional staff performing non-consensual pelvic exams on unconscious men and women in hospitals, universities and other medical facilities. Just one year ago today, those practices remained legal in a majority of U.S. states. Now, however, a new directive from…
Apr 17
Congress should repeal the Foreign Dredge Act
The collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge presents challenges for cleanup and construction crews who rely on dredging vessels to complete their work. That’s partly because of the Foreign Dredge Act, a 1906 law that prohibits foreign-made dredging vessels. Congress is now introducing a measure to revise parts of that law, although previous attempts to do…
Apr 10
Underreported stories from each side
Biden’s Israel weapons pause won’t dent Gaza protests, organizers say
15 sources | 11% from the left
USAF
World’s top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target
13 sources | 0% from the right
Getty Images
Latest Stories
Chinese EV-maker Zeekr is coming to the US. Will Biden’s tariff hike stop it?
Watch 1:17
19 hrs ago
Anti-oil activists try to break into Magna Carta display
Watch 1:35
19 hrs ago
Charges dropped against 211 migrants who stormed border, DA appeals
Watch 1:30
20 hrs ago
Bumble founder: Future of dating could be one AI talking to another
Watch 2:39
20 hrs ago
VA school board votes to restore Confederate names changed in 2020
Watch 2:10
21 hrs ago
Popular Opinions
In addition to the facts, we believe it’s vital to hear perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum.
Biden withholding weapons from Israel emboldens Hamas
Yesterday
Star Parker
Donald Trump has betrayed every conservative value
Yesterday
Dr. Rashad Richey
Putin’s promise of a long war might be hollow threat
Thursday
Leon Aron
Why the Trump family is missing from court appearances
Thursday
Jordan Reid