this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2024
84 points (97.7% liked)

Privacy

30013 readers
1389 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

Chat rooms

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Hello everyone, with the unfortunate passing of the FISA expansion, I was left with a few questions. I tried to research it, and to me, it seems like they are beefing up surveillance with routers and ISPs (correct me if I'm wrong.) Aside from having businesses stalk you when you use their WiFi (connected with ISPs.)

And if that's the case, should I just always use a VPN? And furthermore, shouldn't you have always used a VPN prior to this anyways?

That's why I'm confused because I already thought that other businesses were collecting data and our ISPs were already sending our data away, so I'm partially confused about what the real change here with FISA is.

Any clarification and advice is greatly appreciated, thank you.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 months ago (2 children)

There is no real change. It's a reauthorization. Continue following best practices to mitigate surveillance.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Continue following best practices to mitigate surveillance.

The slimy part of FISA has always been that the data it collects about overseas communications never sunsets. Moreover, Federal law enforcement officials used to be able to troll through the data without a lot of oversight. In 2020 and 2021, there were 270 thousand questionable uses of the data by the FBI looking for dirt — not on foreigners (who are fair game apparently) — but on citizens. The furor over that is what fueled the failed opposition to re-authorization, which succeeded primarily because the FBI insists that the data provides early-warning of terrorists plots and that [the FBI] promises to play fair in the future by digging for dirt only on terrorists here and abroad.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

The reauthorization expanded it to anybody with a computer who passes on communications with the computer.