U.S. to disclose estimate of number of Americans under surveillance

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

POLITICS | Fri Dec 16, 2016 | 9:49pm EST

U.S. to disclose estimate of number of Americans under surveillance

By Dustin Volz | WASHINGTON

The U.S. intelligence community will soon disclose an estimate of the number of Americans whose electronic communications have been caught in the crosshairs of online surveillance programs intended for foreigners, U.S. lawmakers said in a letter seen by Reuters on Friday.

The estimate, requested by members of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, is expected to be made public as early as next month, the letter said.

Its disclosure would come as Congress is expected to begin debate in the coming months over whether to reauthorize or reform the so-called surveillance authority, known as Section 702, a provision that was added to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 2008.

"The timely production of this information is incredibly important to informed debate on Section 702 in the next Congress— and, without it, even those of us inclined to support reauthorization would have reason for concern," said the letter signed by 11 lawmakers, all members of the House Judiciary Committee.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber-surveillance-idUSKBN1452FX

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Many, many years ago, long before the internet

or cell phones are personal computers, I used to hear strange noises on my phone line (land lines only back then), especially when I was chatting with one specific friend. We joked that my line was being tapped, thought it hilarious, especially because we were about 20 years old, and so you can just about imagine what our conversations were like.

Over the years I've occasionally considered filing a Freedom of Information Act to see if the FBI has any records on me, but have never bothered. Maybe I should. Who knows, perhaps I'm still under surveillance.