Felony charges against Austin journalist are authoritarian bullying
Police retaliate against journalist for exercising his First Amendment right to film them violating protesters' First Amendment rights
Biden signs off on ‘spy draft’
Last week, we warned of a dangerous new bill that would expand the surveillance law Section 702 of FISA. Unfortunately, the Senate approved the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act, or RISAA, over the weekend, officially reauthorizing Section 702 without any significant reforms and with dangerous expansions of the intelligence agencies’ spy powers. President Biden quickly signed the bill into law, authorizing intelligence agencies to essentially “institute a spy draft” that could require ordinary Americans and businesses to help the government surveil online communications, including those of journalists.
‘Spy draft’ bill threatens press freedom
The Senate is dangerously close to passing a bill that would allow intelligence agencies to essentially “institute a spy draft” and order everyone from dentists to plumbers to surveil their patients and customers’ communications. The RISAA would also allow the government to order commercial landlords who rent space to media outlets, or contractors who service newsrooms, to help it spy on American journalists’ communications with foreign sources.
Surveillance expansion threatens press freedom – and everyone else's
Bill allows the government to draft citizens into spying and swears them to secrecy
Stop this horrifying mass surveillance bill
The House has slipped a horrifying amendment into its bill extending intelligence agencies’ already expansive spying powers under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Anyone who values press freedom — or their own freedom — needs to tell their senators TODAY to VOTE NO on the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act, or RISAA, by calling 202-899-8938.
House bill on Section 702 would enlarge government’s power to spy on journalists
It’s not too late for the Senate to refuse to reauthorize Section 702 without meaningful reforms to protect Americans’ privacy
Durbin should help stop surveillance expansion
FPF’s Cusack, Stern appeal to their senator in Chicago Sun-Times
‘Imperative’ to pass PRESS Act
Veteran journalist Catherine Herridge threw her full support behind the PRESS Act, the federal bill to put an end to surveillance and subpoenas to force journalists to out their sources, during Congressional testimony on April 11, 2024.
Journalist Catherine Herridge calls for passage of the PRESS Act
Senate must advance legislation to protect journalists and their sources from subpoenas and surveillance
Stop arresting journalists
Just a few months into 2024, the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has documented four arrests or detentions of journalists covering protests in New York, Tennessee, and California. These arrests violate journalists’ rights, and they undermine the right of the public to learn about newsworthy events happening in their communities. They also show the disturbing and stubborn persistence of a system of policing that either doesn’t know or doesn’t care about First Amendment rights.
