McConnell’s 215 Reauthorization Does Nothing to Protect Americans’ Privacy

Last night, Senator Mitch McConnell introduced a bill to reauthorize Section 215 of the Patriot Act through 2020 without ending blanket surveillance of innocent Americans.

“Simply reauthorizing Section 215 means no oversight, no transparency, no court reforms, and no protections against bulk collection, said Berin Szoka, President of TechFreedom. “We cannot afford to have Congress rubber-stamp the Patriot Act — yet again — without significant reforms. The status quo on surveillance is unacceptable, and Senator McConnell’s proposal wouldn’t change anything.”

“The upcoming expiration of Section 215 should be a wakeup call for Congress to finally strike a better balance between national security and privacy,” concluded Szoka. “Of course the NSA plays a valuable role in protecting Americans, but it must — and can — do that consistent with the Fourth Amendment, which bars indiscriminate surveillance of innocent Americans with no connection to national security threats.”

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