All news

White House supports extension of foreign surveillance program — Biden’s adviser

It is reported that special services can’t engage in this type of warrantless surveillance over US citizens

WASHINGTON, February 28. /TASS/. The White House supports the extension of the program intended to wiretap phone communications and intercept electronic correspondence of people living in other countries if they are suspected of terrorism, according to a statement released on Tuesday by Jake Sullivan, US National Security Advisor to President Joe Biden.

The administration of Biden and US Vice President Kamala Harris "strongly supports the reauthorization by Congress of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a vital intelligence collection authority," the statement said.

Enacted in 1978, the law was amended in 2008 to allow special services to act without a warrant of a special court to conduct wiretapping and monitor electronic correspondence among foreign nationals that reside outside the US but use US satellite channels, communications nodes or Internet servers, including those that are owned by major companies. Special services can’t engage in this type of warrantless surveillance over US citizens. There’s one exception, though: US nationals could be monitored as part of the program if they are in contact with foreigners that intelligence agencies regard as persons of interest.