US President Joe Biden’s administration urged Congress on Tuesday to reauthorize a controversial surveillance program that authorities say has become a vital tool in protecting the country from all kinds of threats, from foreign terrorist attacks to attempts by China to steal American technology.
The program, established in 2008 under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), allows US spy agencies to collect the online communications of foreigners, but can also result in a “incidental collection” of messages from US citizens.
Although Congress has reauthorized the program twice in the past, the bipartisan support it once enjoyed has waned in recent years, leaving officials fretting about the specter of losing a powerful weapon in their arsenal for security on December 31. defense of national security.
For this reason, a group of high-level officials from the Biden administration carried out an “all-out effort” on Tuesday in Congress to advocate for the renewal of the program and stressed its importance to face the threats posed by countries like China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, as well as terrorist organizations.
In a joint letter to top Republicans and Democrats in Congress, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said renewing the surveillance program was a “top legislative priority” for the Biden Administration. .
In a statement, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan added his voice to the administration’s call.
Congressional Republicans opposed to renewing the program have found an unlikely group of allies: civil liberties groups and privacy rights advocates.
[Con la colaboración de Masood Farivar, desde Washington]
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