'Eyes Everywhere': Congress Is About to Vote to Expand Mass Surveillance of Americans, Experts Warn by Cancelthis in news

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The FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2023 has become a point of contention due to its potential to significantly expand federal surveillance powers. This bill, aimed at reauthorizing and reforming Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), has been characterized by critics as the "biggest expansion of surveillance inside the United States since the Patriot Act." The main concern revolves around the broadening of the definition of "electronic communication service provider" to potentially include any equipment used for communication, like Wi-Fi routers in public spaces. This change could result in a vast increase in the entities and devices through which the government could conduct surveillance.

Criticism also comes from the fact that this bill would authorize the use of Section 702 information for vetting non-U.S. persons traveling to the United States, raising privacy concerns. The bill seeks to address past compliance failures and enhance accountability measures but has been met with skepticism from civil liberties groups and privacy advocates.

The House Intelligence Committee approved the FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2023, which is set for a vote. However, the situation remains dynamic, and the final decision on whether this bill will be passed into law or undergo further modifications is still pending.

For more information, you can refer to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (https://intelligence.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1323) and the report from Reason (https://reason.com/2023/12/12/house-proposal-would-expand-federal-warrantless-spying-authority/).