Friend, it’s infuriating:

Agencies like the FBI and the NSA have abused Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to conduct warrantless surveillance that violates the civil liberties of people in the United States and abroad.

This week, there were rumors of a surveillance bill moving in Congress. Luckily, on Wednesday, House leadership temporarily abandoned plans to hold a floor vote to extend these controversial surveillance powers!

The decision came after Free Press Action supporters like you, along with a coalition of privacy, civil-rights and digital-rights groups, sent thousands of constituent phone calls and petitions calling on lawmakers to vote “no” on legislative attempts to reauthorize these powers without significant reforms.

Our advocacy is making a big impact, but we can’t rest now. We expect this bill to return and we need to be prepared. Will you make an emergency gift to Free Press Action to help us fight warrantless surveillance of people in the United States? This is especially crucial in an era where our digital privacy is deeply tied to reproductive care, racial justice and our right to protest.

Parts of the debate over this controversial bill were reportedly going to take place during a secret session of the House, something Congress has undertaken only four times since 1810.

Why all the secrecy? Lawmakers know that the public overwhelmingly opposes expanding warrantless surveillance, which is why leaders keep trying to ram these kinds of measures through before we notice — but we always notice.

If Congress is going to pass any kind of surveillance bill, lawmakers must get it right. Any surveillance package must protect our Fourth Amendment rights through warrant requirements and must ban government purchase of our data from commercial entities. If you agree, make an emergency gift to Free Press Action to help us keep up the fight for your digital civil liberties.

Thanks for all that you do,

Nora and the rest of the Free Press Action team
freepress.net

P.S. This surveillance bill failed for now — but we can’t get complacent. Donate today to help us fight unwarranted government spying and the unjust surveillance of communities of color, immigrants, dissidents and religious groups in all of its forms.