Widespread FBI abuse of foreign spy law sets off “alarm bells,” tech group says

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702 has been misused by the FBI for warrantless searches on US persons over 280,000 times in 2020 and 2021. This includes searches related to political activities and actors, such as people involved in storming the US Capitol, political campaign donors, and Black Lives Matter protesters. The issue came to light after a redacted court opinion was unclassified, which prompted the FBI to implement new measures. The misuse of Section 702 has raised concerns among civil rights advocates who are calling for reforms in FISA before it is re-authorized at the end of this year.