Will COVID-19 Usher in the Era of the Surveillance Industrial Complex?
Bottom Line Up Front In order to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), countries around the world have been moving to implement new […] More
surveillance
Authoritarianism Receives a Boost from the Coronavirus Pandemic
Bottom Line Up Front Authoritarian leaders have used the coronavirus as an opportunity to further consolidate power and crush dissent. Countries including Turkey, Hungary, […] More
Spyware for Sale
Bottom Line Up Front In 2019, it is easier than ever for nation-states or wealthy individuals to pay virtual mercenaries to conduct a range […] More
Former Spies on Nunes Memo: Underwhelmed, Unconvinced
Cipher Brief experts were underwhelmed by the “Nunes Memo,” made public Friday, despite the objections of Democrats, leaders in the intelligence community, and the FBI […] More
The Latest
Eatinger: Under the Hood of Renewed FISA Law
Robert Eatinger, former senior deputy general counsel at the CIA, says the legislation that Congress just passed extending controversial surveillance authorities, known as Section 702 […] More
Don’t Pass Surveillance Legislation in the Dark
Politicians who support broad, unchecked government surveillance authorities are once again rushing to approve a sweeping program at the expense of Americans’ personal liberty and […] More
FISA Surveillance: What it Is, and What it Isn’t
The Senate Intelligence Committee approved legislation last week to renew the National Security Agency’s internet surveillance program, currently authorized under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act […] More
NSA Curtails Collection Under FISA Provision
Ever wonder whether the National Security Agency picked up your text message or email because you mentioned ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi to a […] More
The NSA’s Smart Play to Install a Greater Margin of Safety
The National Security Agency recently announced changes to its intelligence collection practices under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The Cipher Brief […] More
Stopping the NSA’s “About” Collection Is Not Sufficient
The NSA recently said it would stop collecting signals intelligence solely “about” foreign targets by tapping the backbone of the internet resident within the United […] More
“Unmasking” U.S. Citizens Found in NSA Intercepts
The process of “unmasking,” or revealing the true identities of U.S. persons who unexpectedly figure into conversations picked up by National Security Agency (NSA) foreign […] More