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
The Government Media Office in Gaza: The occupation’s latest crime is further evidence of its ongoing implementation of genocide through starvation.
Gaza Government Media Office: This is a methodical use of aid as a tool of war to blackmail hungry civilians.
Gaza Government media office: Massacre committed by occupation today is a blatant war crime under international law.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Waves of injured and martyrs continue to arrive at Nasser Medical Complex following the horrific massacre near the aid distribution centers in Rafah.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: 30 martyrs and 120 wounded by Israeli fire while heading to a 'US aid distribution site' west of Rafah.
Araghchi to Grossi: These parties will bear responsibility for the consequences of their actions
Araghchi to Grossi: Iran will respond to any unlawful action by European countries or parties attempting to turn the Agency into a tool for achieving their objectives
Araghchi to Grossi: We urge the Agency to warn against the consequences of any political move against Iran
Araghchi to Grossi: We call on the Agency to highlight Iran’s full cooperation during the upcoming Board of Governors meeting next week
Araghchi to Grossi: We demand that the Agency reflect the facts in a manner that prevents certain parties from exploiting it to advance their political agendas

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

Iran warns against politicization of IAEA during critical period

US Envoy calls Hamas ceasefire response 'totally unacceptable'

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

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive to a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington (AP)

Rift widens: Trump, Netanyahu clash in heated phone call over Iran

  • Politics
  • 26 May 2025
US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump tensions

US judges quietly consider private security amid Trump pressures

  • US & Canada
  • 25 May 2025
An Israeli army vehicle moves in the Gaza Strip as seen from southern occupied Palestine, Thursday, May 29, 2025 (AP)

Hamas rejects Witkoff ceasefire plan, says alters terms

  • Politics
  • 29 May 2025
Spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, announces a new operation against Ben Gurion Airport on May 29, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen announces successful hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion

  • Politics
  • 30 May 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
MIT bans class president who gave pro-Palestine speech
US & Canada

MIT bans class president over pro-Palestine speech

Arab ministers condemn Israel 'ban' on planned West Bank visit
Politics

Arab ministers condemn Israeli ban on planned West Bank visit

Major General Hu Gangfeng, Vice President, National Defense University, People's Liberation Army, China, leaves after a panel discussion during the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Politics

China blasts Hegseth, calls US top 'troublemaker' in Asia-Pacific

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: Reports
Technology

US activists demand shutdown of Musk's 'dirty' supercomputer: NBC News

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