White House Urges Limiting FBI’s FISA Powers
A White House review has recommended that the FBI’s ability to conduct non-national security queries under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s Section 702 be removed. Section 702 allows the US government to collect digital communications of foreigners outside the country, but it has raised concerns that it has been used against Americans. The review stated that if Section 702 is not reauthorized, it could be seen as one of the worst intelligence failures. The report highlighted that a Justice Department audit found noncompliant queries, including those related to individuals arrested during the January 6 Capitol breach. The review recommended that the FBI’s authority to conduct queries for evidence of non-national security-related crimes be removed and that its use of Section 702 should be limited to foreign intelligence purposes only. The findings also noted that while there were no deliberate misuses of Section 702 by the FBI, it has undermined public confidence in its proper use. President Joe Biden’s national security advisers called for the reauthorization of Section 702 to counter foreign threats.
