Seven months ago, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court objected to intelligence analysts pulling Americans’ messages from intercepted data without required approvals, written justifications, or records. Despite the objection, the court approved another year of surveillance. The ruling remains classified, and Senators Ron Wyden and Adam Schiff say the administration missed its own September deadline to release it.
Section 702 of FISA lapsed in June, but collection continues under the court’s March approval. The administration’s guidelines require public release within 180 days—closed September 13—even as officials push for reauthorization by year-end. Wyden and Schiff demand an explanation and names of responsible officials by November 6.
Civil liberties groups, including the ACLU and Project for Privacy and Surveillance Accountability, urge Congress to withhold reauthorization while the administration withholds legally mandated information. The Trump administration promised release; Senators Tom Cotton and Mark Warner pressed for it in April. Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed in July he would declassify it by the deadline.
Former DNI Tulsi Gabbard and acting director Bill Pulte were unresponsive. Current DNI Jay Clayton, legally responsible, has not committed. A prior declassified FISA opinion revealed a similar FBI “participants filter” used uncounted searches until shut off in March 2025 and later reinstated.
This year’s ruling went further, but details remain secret.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing