The letter states that the bill “bans bulk collection under a variety of authorities,” but “preserves essential Intelligence Community capabilities.” The letter also suggests that a new mandate that telecom companies retain their data would be unnecessary, stating that “based on communications providers’ existing practices” the bill would preserve “essential operational capabilities… while eliminating bulk collection.”
“This support from our leaders on national security strongly confirms that we can advance privacy protections without sacrificing our safety,” said CDT President and CEO Nuala O’Connor. “After a year of debate, the consensus is clear – bulk collection is invasive and unnecessary, and its prohibition will not hamper essential intelligence needs. Now it’s time to move forward and pass Sen. Leahy’s USA FREEDOM Act.”
“With national security concerns addressed, the Senate should bring the bill to a vote this month, without weakening it. Director Clapper and Attorney General Holder are clear in saying that a data retention mandate is unnecessary, so none should be added to the USA FREEDOM Act,” said CDT Senior Counsel Harley Geiger. “If Congress fails to address this critical surveillance reform now, it will further weaken Americans’ trust in government and the tech industry, send a negative message internationally, and risk the expiration of Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act next year.”
CDT-led Coalition Calls for Transparency for White House AI Framework
CDT and Americans for Responsible Innovation led a broad, bipartisan coalition of over two dozen civil society groups in calling on the White House to release its Framework for review of frontier AI models.
CDT Amicus Brief Calls on Fourth Circuit to Rein In Geofence Warrants
Earlier this year the Supreme Court ruled in Chatrie v United States that the Fourth Amendment protected all cell phone location information, which CDT lauded as a landmark decision, but sent the case back down to the Fourth Circuit to assess the propriety of the geofence warrant at issue.
CDT and Partners Post Floor Alert Opposing CA SB 1013 Automated License Plate Readers Bill
The best way to ensure that Automated License Plate Readers are not abused is to limit the retention of stored data and to keep loopholes to lawful process closed. CA SB 1013 is a step in the wrong direction, and we urge the California legislature to reject this approach.
British Public Oppose Secret Surveillance Powers and Want Strong Protections for Encrypted Communications
CDT released nationally representative polling data revealing that a the British public are broadly concerned about the security, privacy, and free speech consequences of allowing law enforcement to access encrypted communications.
