Wyden: “I Will Do Everything In My Power” to Stop Bill Expanding Government Surveillance Under FISA 702

Bill Reauthorizes Warrantless Surveillance of Americans Without Real Reforms; Creates New Authorities to Conscript Americans in Warrantless Surveillance

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., vowed to oppose legislation passed by the House of Representatives that would reauthorize Section 702 of FISA and expand warrantless surveillance, in a statement today. 

“The House bill represents one of the most dramatic and terrifying expansions of government surveillance authority in history,” Wyden said. “It allows the government to force any American who installs, maintains, or repairs anything that transmits or stores communications to spy on the government’s behalf. That means anyone with access to a server, a wire, a cable box, a wifi router, or a phone. It would be secret: the Americans receiving the government directives would be bound to silence, and there would be no court oversight. I will do everything in my power to stop this bill.”

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