US FISA Section 702 lapses as World Cup security fears mount
What's next: Existing court approvals may keep some spying active, but telecom and tech firms could balk without legal immunity.
A key US surveillance power expired at midnight on June 12 after Congress failed to pass even a short-term extension, leaving fresh uncertainty over intelligence operations as the United States hosts World Cup matches. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act lets US agencies collect communications of foreign targets abroad without a warrant, including contacts with people in the United States. Officials call it a core counterterrorism and espionage tool, while critics say it can pull in Americans’ data without enough safeguards. A secret court approved a new annual certification in March, so some surveillance may continue until March 2027. But Senator Mark Warner warned that phone and internet providers may refuse requests if the law’s indemnification protections have lapsed.