NSA and CIA doubled warrantless searches in recent years

Public outrage certainly didn’t do much to chill U.S. intelligence agencies’ use of warrantless surveillance. In fact, in the years since the government’s extrajudicial spying became public knowledge, the NSA and CIA have doubled down.

According to a transparency report from the National Intelligence director, government spies conducted at least 4,672 searches last year to secretly gather communications data “concerning a known U.S. person.”

In 2013, spy agencies conducted only half that many warrantless searches.

The searches are conducted through the controversial 702 database set up under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to gather up all kinds of digital communications data transmitted online and elsewhere.

Intelligence agencies aren’t supposed to target American citizens via the system— but often the dragnet nature of the surveillance means that domestic communications are snapped up. And privacy experts say there is no doubt spy agencies are storing and searching the data they gather by accident.

“The number of backdoor searches doubling since last reported shows that warrantless Section 702 surveillance is a significant and growing problem for Americans,” Jake Laperruque, privacy fellow at The Constitution Project, recently told The Intercept in an interview.

Late last month, House Judiciary Committee lawmakers decided to take a closer look at just how big the privacy problem has become. In a letter to National Intelligence director James Clapper, they demanded answers to specific questions about the number of U.S. citizens swept up in 702 survelliance.

“You have willingly shared information with us about the important and actionable intelligence obtained under these surveillance programs,” the letter said. “Now we require your assistance in making a determination that the privacy protections in place are functioning as designed.”

The lawmakers expect Clapper to provide answers by the end of this week.

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