House passes bill to end NSA's bulk collection of data; critics say it doesn't go far enough
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The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill to end mass collection of phone data by the National Security Agency, while still allowing for searches of the data held by private sector companies.
The “USA Freedom Act” faces some opposition in the Senate, where some see no need for change, and among critics who say it doesn’t go far enough, report the Atlantic, the New York Times and the Washington Post.
This bill would allow the NSA to search metadata retained by telecommunications companies with a court order specifying the “selection term” identifying a particular person, account or address being sought, the Post says.
According to the Post, the bill would also:
• Require the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to declassify significant legal decisions.
• Provide for an advocate for the public’s privacy rights at the FISA court.
• Give technology companies greater ability to report on requests for information.
Privacy advocates say search terms that the NSA could use are too broad under the bill. They also dislike provisions allowing access to more modern forms of communication such as video chats, and providing several avenues for warrantless access to data in emergencies.
