A Study of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SURVILLANCE ACT This act was created in 1978. It proposes methods for gaining judicial permission in order to carry out physical and technological search for a person, who might be a terrorist threat for USA, on behalf of a foreign power. In 1970, a man named Christopher H. Pyle discovered that the US army intelligence had hired 1500 officers whose job was to spy on protest or public demonstration that involved more than 20 people. This shocking news immediately captured the attention of Senator Sam Ervin, who was the chairman of a sub- committee of senate related to constitutional rights. Though Sam Ervin strongly condemned this act of US intelligence but he had very little authority to take a step against it. It was due to brave men like Christopher H. Pyle and Senator Sam Ervin that people came to know that how the government was ignoring and violating the provisions to the constitution. This violation of rules and laws by the government led towards the formulation of foreign intelligence surveillance act. The primary feature of this act was as follows; the creation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court) which allows the executive branch to secretly obtain warrants for electronic surveillance but only with strict judicial review Previously there were seven members of foreign intelligence surveillance act court but now the number has been extended to eleven. All of these members are appointed by the chief justice ofShow MoreRelatedThe Pros and Cons of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act 856 Words   |  4 Pageselectronic surveillance remains one of the most effective tools the United States has to protect against foreign powers and groups seeking to inflict harm on the nation, but it does not go without a few possessing a few negative aspects either. Electronic surveillance of foreign intelligence has likely saved the lives of many innocent people through prevention of potential acts of aggression towards the United States. There are many pros to the actions authorized under the Foreign Intelligence SurveillanceRead MoreWiretapping And Surveillance Laws On The United States1029 Words   |  5 PagesThe uses of wiretapping and surveillance have become extremely evident in the society we live in today. With issues of terrorism and foreign threat, the concern for the safety of American citizens is at an all-time high. Over the past 50 years, different amendments and acts have been passed to help regulate the use of wiretap and surveillance tactics, but perhaps the most significant of the bunches would be Title III, FISA, and the Patriot Act. These acts paved way to a safer feeling society, butRead MoreU.s. National Security Agency1242 Words   |  5 Pagesdiscontinue the surveillance done by the NSA because it is detrimental the U.S. economy the Constitution and the citizens of the U.S. The National Security Agency, NSA, is an intelligence organization of the United States government, responsible for global monitoring, collection and processing of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence. In 2013, whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked documents revealing the lengths of the National Security Agency’s surveillance on the UnitedRead MoreWhat Is Mass Surveillance?1255 Words   |  6 Pagesis mass surveillance? Mass surveillance is the collection of electronic data (e.g. e-mails or phone call metadata) in bulk, which means the data is being collected from many people at once instead of targeting individuals and performing surveillance on them. There are multiple methods for performing mass surveillance, but the two that are generally used by the U.S. are upstream collection and querying the data from telecom (communications) providers such as ATT under the USA Freedom Act; beforeRead MoreReforming the NSA to Restore U.S. Credibility922 Words   |  4 Pages(NSA) secret Internet surveillance program, PRISM (Greenwald and MacAskill 2013). The story was based on documents leaked by one of the most successful whistle-blowers in American history, former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The documents that Snowden has released up to this time have shown the NSA to be heavily engaged in the collection of personal Internet activity, bulk collection of telephone metadata, and other forms of surveilla nce that have brought U.S. intelligence practices into questionRead MoreSurveillance : The Act Of Surveillance1526 Words   |  7 Pages The act of Surveillance refers to continuous monitoring of activities of a particular area or a person. Mass Surveillance refers to monitoring activities of a sample population or target group. The video monitoring at malls or stores and the installed CCTV at traffic signals is also an act of mass surveillance. However, such surveillance has become important part of business operation or road safety management due to video recorded proof in case of any crime. We stand at an age where nothingRead MoreNixon Vs. President Richard M. Nixon1304 Words   |  6 Pagesdealing with Watergate† (Watergate Quotes). The Watergate scandal began when five men attempted to break into the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee at the Watergate Complex. The government had to create an act in order to have the right to view all surveillance foo tage from the headquarters. This break-in sparked more than enough attention in the United States and brought two big reporters onto the case. It is stated that these two reporters â€Å"were bigger than the stories they covered†Read MoreThe Security Agency Nsa ( Nsa )1347 Words   |  6 Pagesdeliberately planned in order to keep himself from being immediately incarcerated in the United States. The NSA’s surveillance efforts were increased after the 9/11 attacks, and have allegedly kept growing since then (Gross, 2013). Whether the surveillance was in unconstitutional guidelines is something that is up for discussion now that the leaks have uncovered the degree of the surveillance that is, and has been, taking place. Other NSA Contractors state that the Constitution has been violated, butRead MoreMonitoring And Collection Of Phone Data1521 Words   |  7 Pagesthe attacks, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) limited the NSA and protected Americans from domestic spying (NSA Timeline). Even before the FISA was passed, a Supreme Court ruling in 1973 stated that the government had to comply with the Fourth Amendment in cases of domestic surveillance (NSA Timeline). The NSA was caught in 1975 by the Senate’s Church Committee for a large surveillance program in the U.S, reflecting the events occurring today, from the USA Freedom Act to the Edward SnowdenRead MoreThe Rights Of The United States Of America2369 Words   |  10 Pagesof the State. This is precisely the reason why I choose to affirm this resolution. Mass surveillance is a direct violation of the basic rights the United States of America was built upon. The core values, principles, beliefs, and morals that make the United States a democracy will be directly dismissed if mass surveillance is considered a justified method of governmental intelligence gathering. Mass surveillance does not only metaphorically rip apart the entire U.S. Constitution, but it would lead