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THE GUTTING OF FISA
For years, the Bush administration illegally intercepted the emails and phone
calls of millions of Americans. Rather than rein in this abuse of power,
lawmakers on Capitol Hill caved in to the administration and gave the National
Security Agency (NSA) even more expansive powers to spy on Americans than it had
under the illegal warrantless wiretapping program President Bush secretly
authorized in 2001.
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Video: Conversation with ACLU's Jameel Jaffer, The Nation's Chris Hedges and Human Rights Watch's Dinah PoKempner
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The Constitution is the bedrock of our democracy; it guarantees Americans the right
to privacy and free speech. Electronic surveillance is highly invasive. By
reading our emails and listening to our phone calls the government gets direct
access to our thoughts, our feelings, our associates and our political
views. Unrestrained and unchecked government surveillance not only
intrudes upon Americans' right to privacy, it also has the dangerous effect of
chilling speech and political dissent. The power to spy is one that is
easily abused and history is full of examples of what leaders are willing to do
when tempted with unchecked power.
Electronic surveillance is a necessary tool in protecting our nation's security,
but it must be conducted constitutionally. That is why the ACLU is in court
fighting on behalf of non-profits, attorneys and prominent journalists to
strike down the FISA Amendments Act of 2008. The ACLU has also asked the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) to
ensure that any proceedings relating to the scope, meaning or constitutionality
of the FAA be open to the public to the extent possible
and that the ACLU be allowed to make arguments about the constitutionality of
the new law. The FISC oversees intelligence surveillance, typically
operates in secret, and hears arguments only from the government.
NEWS
ACLU Sues Over Dragnet Wiretapping Law
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About FISA
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