EPIC to Congress: End Section 215 Surveillance Program

In advance of a hearing on reauthorizing the Freedom Act, EPIC sent a statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee urging Congress to end the NSA's phone record collection program, known as "Section 215." EPIC wrote "events of the past few years make clear that Section 215 should not be renewed." Section 215 of the Patriot Act allowed the NSA to collect the telephone records of Americans. In 2013, following the Snowden disclosures, EPIC filed a petition with the Supreme Court, challenging the lawfulness of Section 215. Congress found the 215 program was ineffective and passed the USA Freedom Act to limit data collection. NSA has since acknowledged significant compliance problems. The Director of National Intelligence also confirmed that the program was suspended. Section 215 will sunset unless Congress chooses to reauthorize the program.