Secret Memos Reveal Warrantless Surveillance of Internet Activity
The Obama administration has stepped up the National Security Agency's surveillance program on U.S. soil to search for signs of hacking.
Patriot Act
What the Proposed NSA Reforms Wouldn't Do
All the plans purport to end the bulk phone records collection program, but there are big differences.
Secrecy, Surveillance, and Misinformation: Lessons From Moynihan
Rereading the late senator in a post-Edward Snowden and Julian Assange era.
Is the NSA Really Preventing Terrorist Attacks?
The agency, President Obama, and members of Congress have all said NSA spying programs have thwarted more than 50 terrorist plots. But there’s no evidence the claim is true.
Why Is the U.S. Arming Those in Syria It Legally Defines as Terrorists
The designation could also make it harder for Syrian refugees to come to the U.S., even if they haven’t actually taken up arms against the regime.
The Surveillance Reforms Obama Supported Before He Was President
The White House has opposed efforts to rein in NSA snooping, but only five years ago, Senator Obama supported substantial reforms.
Remember When the Patriot Act Debate Was All About Library Records?
The early debate around a key provision wasn’t about anything like mass collection of phone records.
The History of Public Phone Conversations
The NSA's eavesdropping and data-gathering may be unsettling, but it's only recently that we've begun to think of our telephone conversations as personal and private.
Who's Hiding What? 5 Basic Things We Still Don't Know About the NSA's Snooping
Has the NSA been collecting all Americans' phone records, what surveillance powers does the government believe it has under the Patriot Act, and other unanswered questions.
Mass Surveillance in America: A History of Loosening Laws and Practices
Surveillance in the name of intelligence gathering is nothing new. Here's a look back at significant developments over the past 30-plus years.
Taking Liberties Back From the Patriot Act
Concerned that the time for its extra intrusiveness has passed, civil libertarians are calling for some provisions of the Patriot Act to be rolled back.
I Report, Therefore I Am
The case of Colombian journalist Hollman Morris, refused entry to the U.S. for a prestigious fellowship, suggests reporting on terrorists may be confused with being one.
Immigration Reform Could Keep U.S.-Educated Scholars
Post 9/11, the United States has been chasing foreign-born scholars away, much to the nation's detriment.
Terror Trials May Distort Civilian Courts
Court experts worry that actions taken in prosecuting terrorism could erode protections for those accused of common crimes.