Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Palestinian Ministry of Health: Two were martyred in Israeli shelling that targeted a besieged house in the town of Qabatiya in Jenin
At least 68 dead in migrant shipwreck off Yemen: IOM
Trump: We want to feed the people in Gaza, we do not want them to starve.
US President Donald Trump: We will impose sanctions on Russia if it does not end the war on Ukraine.
Israeli media: Polls show that 52% oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while only 29% support him.
Israeli media: 32% of Americans still support "Israel's" war on Hamas, while 60% oppose it.
Israeli media: Core US support for "Israel" hits its lowest, while support for Palestine reaches its highest levels.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reports martyrs, injuries in Israeli bombardment of home in Heker al-Jame area in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Al-Quds Governorate: Today, the spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque began in a public and dangerous manner, and we warn of a religious war in the region
The Ministry of Health in Gaza: This brings the total number of victims of famine and malnutrition to 175, including 93 children

FBI violated privacy of millions of Americans last year: WSJ

  • By Al Mayadeen Net
  • Source: Wall Street Journal
  • 30 Apr 2022 00:00
  • 3 Shares
3 Min Read

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was found to have violated the constitutional privacy rights of US Americans by conducting millions of searches on their data.

  • x
  • Illustration by Alex Castro (The Verge)
    Illustration by Alex Castro (The Verge)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) performed last year potentially millions of searches of US electronic data without a warrant, US intelligence officials said Friday.

This would constitute a violation of the privacy of US citizens and likely fan the flames of concerns over government surveillance and the privacy of citizens.

The findings were published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in an annual report that disclosed that the FBI conducted some 3.4 million searches of US data that had been previously collected by the National Security Agency.

It could not be tallied how many Americans' data was examined by the FBI under the program, though officials claimed that the number was "almost certainly" much smaller.

Washington disclosing these searches marks the first time a US intelligence agency has published a tally of the FBI's searching of American data using a section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

The 3.4 million figure "is certainly a large number," a senior FBI official said in a press briefing Friday on the report. "I am not going to pretend that it isn't."

Related News

Cholera devastates Darfur region amid conflict, US aid cuts

US uses tariffs to strongarm India on Russia ties

The Russians had something to do with it, obviously

The FBI, following in the same footsteps of the privacy violations that followed the 9/11 attacks - section 702 of FISA - had to cast the blame on someone when these figures were disclosed, and this time, it was "Russian hackers" that posed the "national security threat."

The FBI had previously been under fire for the means by which authorities utilized Section 702 data. That backlash included a rebuke from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in 2018 after the body found that searches conducted by the US agency violated the privacy rights of Americans sponsored by the constitution.

More than half of the reported searches, senior US officials claimed, were related to an investigation into a national security threat that involved alleged attempts by "Russian hackers" to hack critical US infrastructure. Those same officials boldly claimed that the searches included efforts to identify and protect potential victims of the alleged Russian cyberwarfare campaign.

They declined to give more details on the "Russian threat", as the US has done before when putting up a facade, including whether the campaign was related to Moscow itself or illegal hacking groups, though the Russian government has repeatedly denied being behind such attacks on the United States.

The information searched included but was not limited to citizens' names, phone numbers, email addresses, and social security numbers. The privacy violated is that of US citizens, lawful permanent residents on US soil, and US companies, and it can also contain metadata and content of private communications.

The FBI conducted approximately 3.39 million searches using the identity of a presumed US person from Dec. 1, 2020, to Nov. 30, 2021, according to the report. The number of searches for the previous 12-month period was about 1.3 million, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The report also revealed four instances last year which saw the FBI undermining the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court by not seeking its approval before performing a search and looking at the content of US communications that were produced.

  • United States
  • Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
  • 9/11 attack
  • 9/11
  • FBI

Most Read

A rescued crew member from the ETERNITY C vessel in a video released by the Yemeni Armed Forces on July 28, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen Navy reveals fate of targeted Eternity C ship crew

  • Politics
  • 28 Jul 2025
An Israeli tank explodes following an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Occupied Palestine, undated (Al-Qassam Military Media)

Al-Qassam strikes Israeli vehicles in Gaza, inflicts casualties

  • Politics
  • 30 Jul 2025
UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

  • Politics
  • 1 Aug 2025
Protesters chant anti-Israeli slogans as they carry a banner that reads:" Freedom for Palestine, Alliance stop the war," during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Israeli embassy, in Athens, Monday, June 9, 2025 (AP)

Athens mayor slams Israeli ambassador over Gaza war, graffiti claim

  • Politics
  • 3 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, takes part in a parade as he celebrates a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, January 19, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Al-Qassam: We’ll allow aid to Israeli captives if Gaza siege ends

Freed Lebanese freedom fighter Georges Abdallah during an interview on Al Mayadeen, which aired on Sunday, August 3, 2025 (Al Mayadeen screengrab)
Politics

Exclusive: Resistance key to building state, Georges Abdallah says

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres gives a statement about the situation in Gaza at UN headquarters, Friday, June 27, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UN warns Gaza faces water crisis, looming famine under Israeli siege

Israeli soldiers drive their armored personnel carrier along the Gaza Strip, in southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ex-Israeli general says Gaza starvation campaign isolated 'Israel'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS