Update on journalism and the surveillance state (Patreon)

Well. I'm back.

Sorry that it's been a minute. My last semester has been intense. And because it's involved a lot of reporting, I figured I would treat my patrons to an update on the work I've been doing.

My capstone project for my journalism degree is about mass surveillance, or more specifically FISA Section 702. For readers unfamiliar with FISA, it is the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the legislation that gives American intelligence agencies a lot of free reign to spy on whom they like. Section 702 lets the Intelligence Community spy on non-Americans outside the U.S. if they please. It also overlaps into a lot of surveillance of Americans by data brokers. In the past decade, surveillance authorized under Section 702 has increased by 276%. 

And it's up for expiration in December unless Congress decides to reauthorize it. They've done so twice before, including in a stunning moment where Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff voted against two thirds of the Democratic Party. My sources say things might change. You'll hear more about them later.

The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board has recently released their latest report on Section 702, and it's frankly stunning. I'll probably be back with more about it soon.

Stay tuned. The next few months may be a turning point for the American surveillance state.