The invasive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is up for renewal

The controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a US law first enacted in 1978 and then considerably expanded post-9/11 with the PATRIOT ACT, specifically its Section 702, is once again up for renewal this year.

This should happen in Congress by the end of 2023, but it doesn’t look like an easy task this time around, nor is it likely that the law will “escape unscathed” – with voices critical of the abuses happening under its umbrella, not least of privacy advocates, growing louder.