US Intelligence Director Should Release Data on ‘Incidental’ Spying

The US government should disclose basic information about “incidental” spying on US citizens conducted while collecting data under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), advocacy groups said in a letter to National Intelligence Director James Clapper on Thursday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, Clapper announced a new transparency implementation plan for the US intelligence community.

“Information about that impact is critical in light of official representations that Section 702 is aimed at foreign threats and that collection of Americans’ information is merely ‘incidental',” the letter, signed by more than 30 advocacy groups, stated.

The advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Constitution Project, insisted that details of intelligence gathering under FISA Section 702 should be shared under Clapper’s transparency plan.

“It is unacceptable that the government itself has no idea how many Americans are caught up in an intelligence program ostensibly targeted at foreigners.”

The advocacy groups said the Office of the Director of National Intelligence should disclose how many US citizens have been subject to “incidental” surveillance, and what policies govern notification of individuals whose data has been collected.

Moreover, the advocacy groups argue FBI should disclose how often it checks Section 702 databases for names of US citizens.

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows targeting communications of foreign persons located abroad for intelligence gathering purposes. It states that the US government has no right to target US citizens under this authority.