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FISA - 10 things to know with detail

• FISA stands for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a United States federal law enacted in 1978 that governs the surveillance of foreign intelligence activities.
• FISA allows for the collection of electronic surveillance and physical searches of individuals believed to be agents of foreign powers or terrorists, subject to approval by a special court known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC).
• The FISC is a secret court made up of federal judges who review and approve government requests for surveillance warrants under FISA. The court operates behind closed doors and its proceedings are classified.
• FISA requires the government to demonstrate probable cause that the target of surveillance is a foreign power or agent of a foreign power, such as a terrorist organization or a foreign government.
• FISA warrants are typically granted for a period of 90 days and can be renewed if the government can show continued probable cause for surveillance.
• FISA also includes provisions for the collection of business records and other tangible things, as well as the monitoring of communications between individuals located in the United States and foreign countries.
• In 2013, former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden leaked classified documents revealing the extent of the government's surveillance activities under FISA, sparking a national debate over privacy and civil liberties.
• Critics of FISA argue that the law allows for overly broad surveillance powers that infringe on the privacy rights of American citizens, while supporters maintain that the law is necessary to protect national security.
• In 2018, Congress passed the USA Freedom Act, which made several reforms to FISA, including the requirement for the government to obtain a warrant before accessing Americans' phone records in terrorism investigations.
• FISA has been the subject of ongoing controversy and debate, with calls for further reforms to increase transparency and oversight of government surveillance activities.