EPIC, Bipartisan Coalition of Civil Society Groups Call Out Government’s Failure to Propose Meaningful Reform of Warrantless Surveillance Authorities

EPIC joined a bipartisan coalition of civil liberties organizations in underscoring the need for significant reform to warrantless government surveillance activities ahead of a meeting with Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril Haines and other senior intelligence officials on September 7 to discuss Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). In a letter submitted to DNI Haines last week, the civil liberties groups noted that they remain “deeply disappointed by the failure of government officials thus far to propose meaningful reforms to surveillance activities” as part of any reauthorization of Section 702.

EPIC has published a blog series explaining Section 702 and the need to reform it. EPIC has also urged the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to recommend prohibiting warrantless backdoor searches and has joined a coalition of civil liberties groups proposing broad reform to Section 702 and related surveillance authorities.