Surveillance expansion threatens press freedom – and everyone else's
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Mass surveillance is widespread. Congress must rein in government spying powers.
In 2013, whistleblower and longtime Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) board member Edward Snowden’s stunning revelations of mass surveillance by the National Security Agency shocked the world. Since then, we’ve learned even more about the alarming scope of surveillance by the U.S. government.
Mass surveillance undermines everyone’s privacy, and it threatens press freedom by allowing the government to spy on communications between journalists and their sources.
Take Action
Tell Congress to Fix Section 702 of FISA.
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Call or Email Your Senator or Representative
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Call or email your senator or representative and urge them to fix Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. A recent change to the law has vastly expanded the government’s spying powers.
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Write to Your Local Paper
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Help advance press freedom by writing newspaper op-eds or letters to the editor in support of fixing Section 702 of FISA.
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Featured Items
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Nearly 40 press rights and civil liberties organizations urge Sen. Schumer to help pass the PRESS Act
Letter argues that law would curtail trend of government surveillance of journalists.
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URGENT: Tell Sen. Schumer to pass the PRESS Act and stop the government from spying on journalists
Time is running out to make the PRESS Act the law of the land before Congress adjourns.
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Now’s the time: Tell Sen. Durbin to advance the PRESS Act, the historic press freedom legislation
Sen. Dick Durbin has an opportunity to advance landmark protections for journalists.
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Prison time for reporting on leaks?
Don’t give presidents the tools to jail journalists.
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Why press protections need legislative teeth, in DOJ’s own words
We’ve repeatedly argued that legislation is necessary to resolve questions about when the Department of Justice media guidelines apply and to provide accountability in case of violations. So, what kind of accountability is there now?
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Secret Justice Dept. subpoena drives home the need for a strong journalist shield law
With a reporter surveillance scandal of its own embroiling Biden’s Department of Justice, it’s now more important than ever for his administration to throw its weight behind passing a journalist shield law such as Senator Ron Wyden’s PRESS Act.
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FPF, dozens of groups condemn LA County sheriff’s retaliatory statements against reporter
The Los Angeles County sheriff’s public threat of retaliatory investigation into a reporter is an outrageous press freedom violation, and Freedom of the Press Foundation has joined over two dozen groups last week in a letter condemning that action.
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Supreme Court entrenches ‘state secrets’ privilege, dealing a blow to accountability
The Supreme Court upheld and potentially expanded its pernicious “state secrets” privilege in two opinions late last week relating to expansive government surveillance and anti-terrorism programs.
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Understanding the new CIA mass surveillance scandal
The CIA is operating a mass surveillance program affecting Americans entirely in secret.
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Government secrecy kills
Even the Director of National Intelligence admits the U.S. secrecy system is horribly broken.
