A recent U.S. government report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence reveals a significant decrease in the number of FBI searches conducted in a vast foreign intelligence repository for information about Americans and individuals in the United States. The report, issued on Tuesday, highlights a notable decline in searches over the past year compared to the previous 12 months.
The report comes in the wake of a recent congressional decision to reauthorize a surveillance program known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This program allows the U.S. government to collect communications of targeted foreigners in other countries, including instances where these individuals are in contact with Americans or individuals within the U.S.
One of the key concerns raised by a bipartisan group of lawmakers is the improper or unjustified database queries conducted by FBI analysts regarding U.S. persons. In response to these concerns, FBI officials have implemented significant reforms to minimize such violations.
Following a period of intense debate, the Senate approved a two-year extension of the surveillance program by a 60-34 vote, which was subsequently signed into law by President Joe Biden.
The report indicates a notable decrease in the number of U.S. person queries, dropping from 119,383 to 57,094 over the past year. The report attributes the significant spike in queries from a year earlier, totaling 2,964,643, to an FBI investigation involving attempted cyber intrusions of critical infrastructure.
Several factors have contributed to the reduction in searches over the last year, including a requirement implemented last year that mandates the FBI to justify a database query about an American before conducting it.
This annual report, mandated by law, provides statistical data on various surveillance powers of the U.S. government, including the frequency of obtaining warrants for surveillance activities within American borders.
