Posted on 04/30/2022 6:12:00 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
The FBI more than doubled the number of warrantless searches it conducted of Americans' communications data from 2020 to 2021, according to a report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
The report released on Thursday explains how U.S. intelligence agencies use Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which allows for surveillance without a warrant of electronic communications data stored by U.S. internet service providers. ODNI pointed out that this year's report is the first to track the FBI's use of "unminimized Section 702 collection," which is raw data that the National Security Agency collects.
The FBI used Section 702 to collect data from nearly 3.4 million Americans in 2021, more than double the over 1.3 million in 2020. Those two years are the only ones for which the report provides statistics.
In a Friday press briefing on the report, a senior FBI official said that the 3.4 million figure "is certainly a large number," the Wall Street Journal reported. "I am not going to pretend that it isn't."
Nearly 2 million of the reported searches were part of an investigation into alleged Russian hackers attempting to break into the U.S.'s critical infrastructure. Senior officials said that the searches were part of efforts to identify and protect potential victims of the alleged Russian campaign, also according to the news outlet.
According to the report, tracking the precise number of Americans subject to the FBI surveillance is difficult because of how the bureau tracks its Section 702 data, which is different from other federal agencies.
"For reasons discussed more fully below, these statistics are reported separately from NSA, CIA, and NCTC due to unique variations in FBI's data, chief among them that FBI does not count the number of unique query terms, but instead counts the total number....
(Excerpt) Read more at justthenews.com ...
We need more hanging judges.
We’re just looking foe Russians....
Look up and read about Danny Casolaro. In about 1991 he was collecting files on the NSA and how they were spying on Americans. He was found “suicided” in a bath tub.
I remember him as the guy who was investigating the “Octopus.”
You can thank George W Bush and Bush League Republicans for the police state we live in.
It was obvious from the beginning that the TSA turning airports into Constitution-free zones was the proof-of-concept for turning the rest of the country into the same.
Has any Republican serious run on getting rid of this besides Rand?
warrantless = illegal
And how many of those searches were politically motivated?
BULLSHIT.
Those searches are on American citizens. That means you, election denier.
“We need more hanging judges.”
We have plenty, they’re all Democrats.
“You can thank George W Bush and Bush League Republicans for the police state we live in.”
They had the Patriot Act waiting in the wings. ‘We’re fighting terror’.
Sure, they had to look in on American citizens’ private accounts to investigate Russian hackers... right.
There ought be no confusion that the uptick followed Jan 6, 2021.
If the FIB wants to look into the largest hack ever, it should focus instead on Nov 3, 2020.
Sure, they had to look in on American citizens’ private accounts to investigate Russian hackers... right.
There ought be no confusion that the uptick followed Jan 6, 2021.
If the FIB wants to look into the largest hack ever, it should focus instead on Nov 3, 2020.
More of the “Russia, Russia, Russia” lies to take advantage of the FISA which ONLY allows surveillance when the communication involves a foreign entity. AFAIC, the Patriot Act, FISA AND that rubber stamp FISC can go straight to hell right along with all the deep state, leftist government agencies that use them to impose their despotism.
Ultimately the government refuses to fulfill its job of protecting the citizens and turns to surveilling the citizens to prosecute them for not conforming to the government’s wishes.
Government, when allowed to expand, always ends up using its power to protect its power.
Government obviously doesn’t protect the citizens. Proof is that it didn’t take the muslim threat seriously and let 9/11 happen. Proof is the “patriot act” which didn’t protect us but allowed the government to violate the Constitution. Proof is that it is opening the borders to anyone who wants a free handout, even if they are going to give us diseases. Proof is that it makes nice with countries that proudly express hate for us, like iran. Proof is that it declared aids a protected disease and didn’t take any steps to stop the spread. Proof is that it spends our money wildly on countries other than our own, diluting the value of the currency.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.