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“So, since you are an expert, having worked on systems like this, what are your suggestions for reform? “

I don’t think there is one, honestly.

If they allow bulk extracts, it is always possible to construct an extract where specific Americans they want to spy on, are included.

If they allow unlimited surveillance of foreigners, they can just pick and choose the foreigners in contact with the Americans they are spying on, and get what they want via “incidental collection”. Or, using Five Eyes, they use other countries to spy on targetted Americans, then get the data from them via SIGINT exchange.

The other issue is with the FISA warrants, which allows them to look at all electronic communications, even before the date of the warrant. So that becomes another work around. They want past communications that they wouldn’t be given a FISA warrant for. So they find something, anything, to get a FISA, and then go back in time to what they really want to see.

If the eliminate those things, they go back to a system of individual warrants for surveillance, and the tens of billions they are spending on mass retention of all electronic communications becomes pointless.

Frankly, I don’t credit the “counter-terrorism” arguments on this. If the Regime was really interested in terrorism, they would secure the border.

This thing is really for mass-surveillance of Regime dissidents, and “Nation Security conservatives” need to stop kidding themselves on what they are supporting.