Tell Congress: Reject Reauthorization of FISA (In Its Current Form)
Call BOTH of your Senators.
Call ONE of the Representatives. Note: only one of these Congressmembers represents you. Find out which one here.
Call Script
My name is __________. I am a constituent, and my zip code is _______. I am a member of Indivisible SF.
I am calling today to urge you to demand major reforms to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), and to withhold your vote from reauthorization without reforms.
Specifically you should vote NO until the following reforms are implemented:
Close the backdoor search loophole: The government should not continue to be allowed to access personal communications without a warrant, in order to consistently protect personal privacy.
Close the data broker loophole: Intelligence agencies and law enforcement must be held to the same standard of privacy protection when purchasing data from commercial brokers. In the age of AI this protection is essential to preventing unprecedented government collection of our data.
Fix the overbroad expansion of electronic communication service providers: As it is currently written, the ECSP definition is vague and overbroad. Right now, building owners (including those that lease space to nonprofits and media outlets), can be compelled to turn over data from their internet systems to the government. That must stop.
Remove barriers to amici access and participation at the FISA Court: Even after prior reforms, amici are still restricted in access to proceedings and relevant materials. This reform will ensure the FISA Court allows amici access to cases affecting civil rights and civil liberties.
Background
The section 702 of FISA (foreign intelligence surveillance act) was passed in 2008 as a counterterrorism measure, but it has a long history abuse because it:
Allows warrantless backdoor surveillance of people in and out of the country
Offers little to no protection against the administration targeting critics, activists, religious minorities, or communities of color
Actively chills our freedoms of speech and association
We need our members of congress to reject its reauthorization in its current form. Now more than ever in the era of AI, personal privacy and civil liberties must be protected.
References
This Week's US Congressional Call Scripts:
