Electronic surveillance

7 Ways To Reform The Obviously Corrupt FISA Surveillance System


The shocking revelations in the Department of Justice inspector general’s report of December 9, 2019 about how the FBI investigated and electronically surveilled four American citizens associated with the 2016 Republican presidential campaign demonstrate that reform is urgently needed.

These revelations included that an FBI lawyer doctored a document used to support a warrant application under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and that exculpatory evidence was withheld from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC). While some will call for abolishing FISA, it remains essential to protect Americans from terrorism. The true task is to reform the processes of FISA investigations to also ensure Americans’ civil liberties.

The causes of this abuse of the government’s surveillance powers are varied and multi-layered, but on examination a common theme emerges: not enough oversight by accountable parties is built into the system. To begin the process of reform, the FISC this week ordered the FBI to advise the court of what steps FBI will take to ensure these kinds of abuses are not repeated.