The bill now goes to President Joe Biden, whose administration says FISA's warrantless spying power is vital to national security. Amendments to expand privacy safeguards failed.

“The House of Representatives had just passed Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This legislation would permit the agency, without a warrant, to collect from Google and other US Big Tech companies the communications of Americans talking, e-mailing, or texting with non-Americans outside the country—in theory to gather foreign intelligence, but in practice amassing an enormous amount of data on American citizens.”

We should be protesting against this! It’s both unjust and harmful to all of us. Why must the government spy on our every move? I strive to live peacefully and commit no crimes, yet I am still subject to surveillance. It’s absurd to think that just talking to friends abroad subjects us to surveillance under the pretext of fighting “terrorism.” They haven’t caught anyone significant, and this program seems more about conditioning us to believe that if we do nothing wrong, we have nothing to fear. Just let us live our lives freely! Moreover, as an advocate for free software, I see the TikTok ban as another tool of control, forcing us to conform to their dictates. Fighting tyranny with tyranny is not the solution. 🙈🙉🙊

    • Dark ArcEnglish
      6•7 months ago

      Well, it’s considered “okay” because the search is invisible/not physically invasive or disruptive and none of the data gathered against citizens via these means is admissible in court (at least in theory).

      I do think there’s a much more serious argument that what citizens are subjected to at airports and at the border is a violation of the 4th though.

      For those unfamiliar, the US fourth amendment text:

      The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.