CDT Submits Statement Urging House Judiciary to Close Loopholes on Warrantless Government Surveillance
On April 8th, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance held a hearing to discuss warrantless surveillance issues. At the hearing, members and witnesses across the political spectrum highlighted the dangers of warrantless surveillance, and actions Congress should take to place checks on government surveillance powers.
On April 15th, CDT submitted a statement for the record, highlighting three critical issues:
- Closing the “Backdoor Search Loophole” that allows warrantless queries for Americans’ communications collected through Section 702 of FISA;
- Closing the “Data Broker Loophole” to stop law enforcement from buying data that should require a warrant to obtain; and
- Why restoring the independence of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) is key to oversight of government surveillance and preventing abuse.
(Additionally, a witness at the hearing – Gene Schaerr, General Counsel for the Project for Privacy & Surveillance Accountability – included as part of his written testimony a copy of the recently-released CDT and PPSA joint issue brief, entitled Debunking Myths on the National Security Impact of Warrants for U.S. Person Queries.)
