US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he had approved a bill to renew the National Security Agency's (NSA) internet surveillance program, sealing a defeat for every defender of digital privacy.
"We just signed Bill 702 to renew foreign intelligence collection," Trump wrote on Twitter, referring to US Congressional legislation that expands Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
According to Reuters, the law was renewed for six years and with minimal changes to the National Security Agency (NSA) program, which will now be able to collect information from foreigners as well as Americans under the law.
The measure easily passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week, despite opposition from the entire online community.
Just signed 702 Bill to reauthorize foreign intelligence collection. This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2018
In a tweet on Friday, Trump sought to clarify why he signed the bill, despite repeating an unfounded claim that his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, ordered intelligence agencies to spy on Trump's 2016 campaign.
"I will always do what is right for our country and put the safety of the American people first!"
Without Trump's signature, Section 702 was set to expire on Friday, although intelligence officials had said the surveillance program could continue to operate until April.
Under the law, the NSA is allowed to monitor vast amounts of digital communications from foreigners living outside the United States through U.S. companies such as Facebook Inc, Verizon Communications Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google.
Of course, everyone involved in the legalization of mass surveillance of digital data (see the White House, U.S. intelligence agencies, and Republican congressional leaders) declared that the program is necessary for national security, and vital for the protection of U.S. allies.
They agreed that little or no revision is needed.
Privacy advocates, on the other hand, say that the legalization of mass surveillance by the NSA and other intelligence agencies is an affront to the U.S. Constitution and more…
