Representatives Massie, Boebert Introduce Surveillance Accountability Act to Protect Americans from Warrantless Government Spying

Email ^ | 4/23/2026 | Boebert

[Colorado Doug]

For Immediate Release April 23, 2026 Contact

Boebert.Press@mail.house.gov

Representatives Massie, Boebert Introduce Surveillance Accountability Act to Protect Americans from Warrantless Government Spying

Washington, D.C.-- Today, Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-04) and Rep. Thomas Massie (KY-04) introduced the Surveillance Accountability Act, landmark legislation that would require federal and local government agencies to obtain a warrant supported by probable cause before conducting surveillance on American citizens, in accordance with the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The legislation comes in response to the widespread use of warrantless surveillance technologies by government agencies, including facial recognition systems, automated license plate readers, and commercially purchased location data. According to the bill’s sponsors, these tools are currently being deployed without judicial oversight, building detailed databases of the movements and activities of law-abiding Americans.

“For years, the federal government has treated the Fourth Amendment like a suggestion. They’ve built a massive surveillance machine that tracks, scans, and spies on law-abiding Americans without a warrant, without probable cause, and without any accountability. Enough is enough,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert. “The Surveillance Accountability Act puts the Constitution back in charge. It protects every American from an out-of-control federal government that thinks it owns your data, your movements, and your life. This is a true bipartisan issue for anyone who still believes in limited government and individual liberty.”

"The Bill of Rights is not a suggestion, and Fourth Amendment protections against warrantless searches conducted by the government are not optional," said Rep. Thomas Massie. "The Surveillance Accountability Act requires government employees to first obtain a warrant based on probable cause before searching Americans' personal information even if the information sought is stored on a phone, in the cloud, or held by a third party. Warrantless searches are unconstitutional, and this does not change when the data the government seeks is in digital formats or held by a third party."

The Surveillance Accountability Act would:

Require all government-initiated searches and surveillance activities to be supported by a judicially issued warrant based on probable cause.
Prohibit warrantless facial recognition scanning by federal and local law enforcement agencies in public spaces, including at schools and places of worship.
Restrict the use of automated license plate readers (such as Flock cameras) to create persistent location databases of citizens without a court order.
Ban federal agencies from purchasing commercially available location or movement data to circumvent warrant requirements.
Prohibit federal pressure on local law enforcement agencies to share warrantlessly collected surveillance data.

Sponsors of the legislation cited documented instances of government agencies utilizing surveillance technology against political figures, journalists, and ordinary citizens without obtaining proper judicial authorization, arguing that current oversight mechanisms are insufficient to protect constitutional rights.

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TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 4thamendment; fisa

[Colorado Doug]

Not a fan of Massie but this sounds like good legislation with Boebert

[blackdog]

The feds ignored FISA law guardrails, charging nobody for violating the law and fraud before the courts (perjury), so why another law they will ignore?

[T.B. Yoits]

The Fourth Amendment already covers warrants.

What is also needed is absolute access by a victim of records of every surveillance done against them, including where, when, and how, and by whom, as well as everyone who signed off on it. That includes contractors and foreign operators such as under Five Eyes.

We have the right to face our accusers.

Either the entirety of each search was valid or it wasn't, and it's not the Executive Branch of government who determines that.

[PeterPrinciple]

I am reminded of the Paperwork Reduction Act under Reagan. Created more paperwork and another bureaucracy.

More laws don’t solve the problem. Good leadership does.

[cowboyusa]

Massie is right and Trump is wrong on this one

[ActresponsiblyinVA]

I would rather be protected from fraud calls. The Do No Call list is worthless.

[john drake]

My concern exactly. Given the regular abuse of our rights and daily fraud and illegal activity committed by our government, regardless whose in office, I’m still waiting for laws to be enforced on any number of felonies committed, oh, since the Clinton administration. Get me the list of politicians and various other bureaucrats that have gone to jail in that time frame and I bet its so short I could memorize their names in no time flat.

As time goes on, the abuses will get worse as the technology gets better and more invasive. Massive reduction in size, scope and power of the Federal Government is the only way I can see taming the beast, at least for a while....but that won’t happen. It’s a cancer that will continue to spread and eventually kill the republic. History says so, given the poor track record of human nature and its dealings with ever expanding positions of power. My two cents.

[ridesthemiles]

NOT A GOOD PAIR TO DRAW TO.

[FrankRizzo890]

Prediction, if they get this passed, or don’t renew the FISA bill, the deep state will have to gin up some big false flag that they can point to as a result of not having their intended surveillance state.