The House Freedom Caucus on Monday launched a video highlighting the need to protect Americans’ privacy as Congress considers how to reauthorize Section 702 of FISA.
The Freedom Caucus launched a video, “Don’t Spy On Me,” highlighting many conservatives’ concerns with surveillance.
“I don’t know any Americans that want Big Brother controlling our cars, tracking our money, or really just surveilling us from every corner that we turn,” Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC) said.
Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) said, “But too often, the American people are left wondering, what’s the government doing trying to get in all their business?”
Cloud was referring to how automobiles and banks surveil more Americans than ever. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) have proposed legislation that would give drivers more control over their personal data collected by auto manufacturers without drivers’ consent.
“Our privacy is not negotiable,” Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) said.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) said, “This is America, not some surveillance state. If they can spy on a member of Congress, they can spy on you.”
“Look, under the Biden administration, there were nearly 3 million warrantless searches of American citizens. That’s unacceptable,” Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) explained.
“Under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) authorization, if you’re an American, you shouldn’t be spied on as a foreigner, but they did it anyhow,” Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), said.
Section 702 is a surveillance authority meant to be used to spy on foreign adversaries; however, Americans’ private communications incidentally get surveilled without a warrant — contrary to the Fourth Amendment protections against warrantless surveillance. The surveillance authority will expire on June 12 if Congress does not pass a bill reauthorizing the legislation.
Conservatives have continued to press for reforms as Congress seeks to reauthorize Section 702 ahead of that deadline.
“We want our intelligence community, our federal law enforcement community, that when they are going to surveil an American, they have to get a warrant,” Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) said. Many conservatives want to enact reforms that would bar intelligence agencies, federal law enforcement, and others from purchasing Americans’ private communications through third-party data brokers without a warrant.
“It’s important that as we come to this June 12th end of FISA that we understand the importance of getting a warrant as we move forward,” Harris said. Congress has yet to find a framework that would reauthorize and reform Section 702 of FISA that could pass through both chambers of the legislative branch.
“Don’t spy on me,” Norman concluded.
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