Communication security

Don’t Let the Russia-Trump Investigation Distract From U.S. Intelligence Reform

Of particular concern to U.S. tech companies is the collection of communications of overseas foreigners who are not targeted for surveillance. The U.S. tech sector has been criticized by foreign governments, and U.S. internet products and services have come under suspicion from users since the Edward Snowden disclosures revealed the extent of section 702 collection. The European Court of Justice referenced section 702 when it struck down the EU-U.S. Safe Harbor, the agreement that had treated U.S. company handling of EU persons’ data as compliant with EU data protection laws. The replacement Privacy Shield has already been challenged in European courts, although the European Commission is defending the deal. Having communications traffic move away from the United States not only diminishes revenue for U.S. firms, but also undermines the ability of intelligence agencies to collect and analyze communications.