Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows the federal collection of personal electronic communications.
Lt. General Timothy Haugh, President Joe Biden’s nominee for leader of the National Security Agency, testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee at his nomination hearing last week. Committee members were interested in his opinion of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
This provision within the 2008 legislation allows U.S. intelligence to probe the personal electronic communications of any foreign person of interest without a warrant. Lt. General Haugh stated, “In my experience, it is absolutely essential.”
Since its passage, U.S. intelligence has used this ability to conduct mass surveillance on the personal electronic data of users both outside and inside the United States, which has raised questions about the ethics of governmental breaches in privacy.
Section 702 is due for Congressional renewal at the end of 2023, which Haugh supported during his testimony.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Senator Mark Warner as he heads the Senate Intelligence Committee.
- For wisdom for the committee as they hold hearings for the president’s intelligence nominees.
- For members of the Senate as they consider and vote for or against the confirmation of nominees.
Sources: Reuters, Senate Intelligence Committee
