US lawmakers have introduced alternative legislation to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act without requiring a warrant for US law enforcement agencies to access electronic communications.
Section 702 allows US intelligence agencies to monitor communications involving foreigners but can also be used to access the private communications of US citizens and green-card holders in certain circumstances.
The legislation introduced by Senator Mark Warner and others includes some safeguards for US person queries under Section 702, but has been criticized for not going far enough to protect privacy. [ more ]