Controversial FISA Surveillance Powers Extended by US Congress
Congress has temporarily extended the government's contentious FISA surveillance powers, which allow intelligence agencies to collect citizen data without a warrant.
In a move that has drawn significant controversy, the United States Congress has voted to temporarily extend the government's surveillance powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The measure, which had faced staunch criticism for enabling intelligence agencies to collect data on American citizens without a warrant, will now remain in effect for several more months.
FISA has long been a point of contention, with privacy advocates and civil liberties groups arguing that it allows for unconstitutional government overreach. The program, which was first enacted in 1978, grants the National Security Agency (NSA) and other agencies broad authority to monitor communications, including those of US persons, under the guise of national security.
Despite these concerns, the Senate voted 80-16 to extend the FISA statute, which had been set to expire on March 15th. The extension will keep the program running until at least December 2023, providing lawmakers with additional time to debate and potentially reform the legislation.
Source: Al Jazeera
