CDT & Civil Liberties Groups Endorse Bipartisan Bill to Reform Section 702

(WASHINGTON) — The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) joined a broad set of over 30 civil liberties groups across the political spectrum to endorse today’s bipartisan and bicameral bill, the Government Surveillance Reform Act (GSRA). The legislation — led by Sens. Wyden (D-OR) and Lee (R-UT), Reps. Davidson (R-OH) and Lofgren (D-CA), and joined by 16 other original cosponsors — is a comprehensive surveillance reform bill to address serious problems with FISA Section 702 and other surveillance authorities.

The Government Surveillance Reform Act requires a warrant for U.S. person queries (a system that has been repeatedly abused), enhances court access and provides new accountability rules, improves oversight at the FISA Court, closes the data broker loophole, and ensures that surveillance under Executive Order 12333 cannot be misused against Americans.

Jake Laperruque, Deputy Director of CDT’s Security and Surveillance Project, says: 

“We are proud to endorse the Government Surveillance Reform Act because it provides the smart, comprehensive safeguards we need to protect Americans’ civil rights and civil liberties from warrantless surveillance. 

It will end the litany of abuse of FISA 702 we’ve seen year after year and close serious loopholes, all while preserving the operational value needed for national security. The only path forward for FISA 702 is with significant reforms, and the GSRA accomplishes this critical goal.”

Section 702 of FISA is set to expire in less than eight weeks, and the GSRA is currently the only legislation introduced in Congress to reauthorize the law. CDT and other advocates have long stressed that, for any reauthorization of FISA Section 702 to be viable, it will need to include significant reforms. 

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The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) is the leading nonpartisan, nonprofit organization fighting to advance civil rights and civil liberties in the digital age. We shape technology policy, governance, and design with a focus on equity and democratic values. Established in 1994, CDT has been a trusted advocate for digital rights since the earliest days of the internet. The organization is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has a Europe Office in Brussels, Belgium.