Edward Snowden warns that the NSA is on the verge of assuming control of the internet within a few days.

The United States National Security Agency (NSA) is on the verge of gaining control over the internet through an extensive expansion of its surveillance capabilities, according to Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor turned whistleblower. Snowden highlighted a post by Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, which warned of a new bill that could significantly enhance the US government’s surveillance powers.


The bill in question is a reform and extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Currently, the NSA can compel internet service providers like Google and Verizon to hand over sensitive data related to NSA targets. However, Goitein argues that a seemingly insignificant change to the definition of “electronic communications surveillance provider” in the FISA 702 bill could allow the US government to expand its reach and force almost every company and individual involved in providing internet services to assist with NSA surveillance.
Furthermore, those compelled to disclose data would be prohibited from discussing the information provided due to strict gag order penalties and conditions outlined in the bill, Goitein added.


The bill initially faced resistance from privacy-conscious Republicans but was passed by the US House of Representatives on April 13. As a result of the pushback, the proposed spying powers of the bill were reduced from five years to two years, and there were minor amendments to the service providers covered by the surveillance measures.
However, according to Goitein, these amendments did little to reduce the scope of surveillance authorized for the NSA. In her view, the amendments could even result in service providers such as cleaners, plumbers, and IT service providers, who have access to laptops and routers in people’s homes, being forced to provide information and act as “surrogate spies.”
The bill has faced strong opposition from both sides of the political spectrum, with several government representatives arguing that it violates citizens’ constitutional rights. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden described the bill as “terrifying” and vowed to do everything in his power to prevent its passage through the Senate. Republican Congressperson Anna Paulina Luna, who voted against the bill in the House of Representatives, deemed Section 702 an “irresponsible extension” of the NSA’s powers, suggesting that government agencies should be required to obtain a warrant to access data.
The bill is scheduled for a vote on April 19 in the US Senate.