US officials want Section 702 renewed before damaging court ruling goes public

Two senators who oversee US intelligence say the Trump administration is illegally withholding a secret surveillance courts findings from Congress until lawmakers renew Section 702, which lets federal agents read Americans communications without a warrant. The court objected seven months ago to search filters that let analysts pull Americans messages without required approvals or records, yet approved another year of surveillance, and the rulings public-release deadline passed in September. The dispute matters because the program already lapsed in June while collection continues, so its renewal by year-end will decide the scope of warrantless surveillance of Americans.

• Ars Technica2026-10-27 13:22