Join us in urging Senators and Representatives to stand up for the Fourth Amendment and protect our privacy!
How (Not) to Write a Privacy Law
After many years of failed starts, proposed information privacy legislation has begun moving forward in both houses of Congress. The docket in the recently ended 116th Congress was crowded, with a number of different proposals jostling for attention and no agreement on which deserved to be the front runner. Even so, as the 117th Congress begins, there is growing inside-the-Beltway consensus on the list of features that a successful bill will need to include. This paper critically assesses those zones of emerging consensus.
Tell Congress to Say No to Warrantless AI Mass Surveillance
The War on Terror-era legislation that authorized decades of civil liberties-eroding mass surveillance expired June 12. . Congress has a choice to make before they reauthorize this bill: will they greenlight warrantless mass surveillance of American citizens, or uphold the Constitution and prevent more of Trump's authoritarian powergrabs? Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was passed in 2008 as a counterterrorist measure, but has a long history of abuse from the federal government, especially when it comes to surveillance. Congress has a choice to make: Will they greenlight warrantless mass surveillance, or hold the line and reject any effort to move forward without serious privacy guardrails. FISA as it is currently written: Allows warrantless backdoor surveillance of people in and out of the country Offers little to no protections against the administration targeting critics, activists, religious minorities, or communities of color Actively chills our freedoms of speech and association Two years ago, this reauthorization legislation sailed through Congress with bipartisan support. That can’t happen again. Democratic leadership and members must hold the line for our civil liberties. And any Democrat or Republican voting for unfettered spying on US citizens should hear from their constituents. Let your Members of Congress know you expect them to reject reauthorization unless it includes significant reforms to protect our civil liberties against this authoritarian regime.
📣 Take Action: Reform Section 702: End mass warrantless surveillance
Make an impact with guided actions from Freedom of The Press Foundation.
Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA): 2026 Resource Page
The following Brennan Center and coalition resources provide detailed information on Section 702, how it has been used to gain warrantless access to Americans’ communications, proposals for reforming the law, and the 2026 reauthorization process.
Get FISA Right
Both chambers of Congress have left town, meaning that FISA Section 702 won’t be reauthorized by the June 12 “deadline”. Even though the lapse is likely to be temporary, it’s still a big deal. This is the first time these authorities have lapsed since they were put in place in 2008 — the year Get FISA Right started. So thanks to all the legislators in both parties who voted “no” … and thanks to all the activists who have gotten involved over the years!
Lawful-access bill could threaten encryption, deter investment, Chamber of Commerce warns
Bill would require telecoms, internet companies to change systems to give surveillance, monitoring capabilities to authorities
Privacy under attack: the NSA files revealed new threats to democracy
We now know the apparatus of repression has been attached to the democratic state, but our struggle for privacy is far from hopeless. By Eben Moglen
The Senate Should Reject KOSA's Privacy Risks
The Senate Commerce Committee is once again considering legislation that would dramatically expand age verification, and undermine privacy for everyone. Alongside the SCREEN Act, the CHATBOT Act, and
Kiss your online privacy goodbye with Bill C-22, Canada
Civil liberties groups, legal experts and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce have been sounding the alarm for months on the privacy and cybersecurity issues contained in the Carney government’s Lawful Access Act, or Bill C-22. In a not-so-surprising twist, American lawmakers have now also added their voice to those warning about the bill.
Article 78: Confidentiality | EU Artificial Intelligence Act
The Commission, market surveillance authorities and notified bodies and any other natural or legal person involved in the application of this Regulation…
AI #177 Part 2: Wish You Were Here
As usual, part 2 of the weekly deals with speculative, regulatory, political and alignment questions.
Bill C-22’s Groundhog Day: Why the Government’s Dismissal of Signal, Apple and the U.S. Congress Concerns Runs Back the Disastrous Online News Act Playbook - Michael Geist
Secure messaging service Signal yesterday became the latest company to warn that Bill C-22, the lawful access bill, could force it to leave the Canadian market rather than comply with provisions it says would compromise its end-to-end encryption and create new cybersecurity risks. Signal vice-president Udbhav Tiwari told the Globe and Mail that the company “would rather pull out of the country than be compelled to compromise on the privacy promises we have made to our users.” The comments are part of a steady stream of similar warnings from Apple, Meta, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Cybersecurity Advisors Network, and the chairs of the U.S. House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees. Despite growing concern, the government’s response has been to launch a misleading social media campaign and repeatedly insist that the experts and companies are mistaken.
Administrative Subpoena Powers and an Outdated Fourth Amendment Doctrine
Numerous federal agencies possess statutory authority to obtain sensitive data without advance judicial approval or probable cause of illegal activity.
Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Purpose.
US industry and advocacy groups warn against mandatory age verification laws - CADE – Civil Society Alliances for Digital Empowerment
Several US organisations have urged Congress to reconsider proposals that would require mandatory age verification for online services, citing concerns about privacy, data security, and constitutional rights.
We Need A Massive Surveillance Program (Idle Words)
I am a privacy activist who has been riding a variety of high horses about the dangers of permanent, ubiquitous data collection since 2012.