The New York Times' Charlie Savage and Laura Poitras report on the evolution of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court since the 9/11 attacks. Files leaked by Edward Snowden "help explain how the court evolved from its original task — approving wiretap requests — to engaging in complex analysis of the law to justify activities like the bulk collection of data about Americans’ emails and phone calls," they write. The court transformed from an adjudicator of surveillance applications to an interpreter of the law, Steven Aftergood, of the Federation of American Scientists, commented to The Times.
Among other revelations is that "the newly disclosed documents also refer to a decision by the court called Large Content FISA, a term that has not been publicly revealed before. Several current and former officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Large Content FISA referred to sweeping but short-lived orders issued on Jan. 10, 2007, that authorized the Bush administration to continue its warrantless wiretapping program."
Lawyer and Legal Journalist
