Over 100,000 Foreigners Under Surveillance of US NSA - Reports

The US NSA is reportedly conducting surveillance on over 100,000 foreign nationals in order to mitigate Daesh treat to the country.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The US National Security Agency (NSA) is currently conducting surveillance on over 100,000 foreign nationals outside the country in accordance with the so-called Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, media reported, citing senior US officials.

According to the CNN broadcaster, Section 702 has repeatedly helped the US intelligence community to detect cybersecurity threats, prevent cyberattacks, and disrupt Daesh terror plots (outlawed in Russia). An official told the broadcaster about two examples in which Section 702 had helped to disrupt terror plots.

For instance, numerous Daesh plots, in particular, a Trinidadian Daesh online recruiter who was later killed in Syria, were prevented due to surveillance, and these activities also helped identify the location and arrest the attacker in the Istanbul night club in January 2017.

Meanwhile, section 702, adopted in 2008, authorizes the intelligence community to target the communications of non-US citizens located outside the United States for foreign intelligence purposes. It is widely criticized by some congressmen and foreign governments. The statute will expire in December if it is not reauthorized by Congress.