• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

My TechDecisions

  • Best of Tech Decisions
  • Topics
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Mobility
    • Unified Communications
    • IT Infrastructure
    • Network Security
    • Physical Security
    • Facility
    • Compliance
  • RFP Resources
  • Resources
  • Podcasts
  • Project of the Week
  • About Us
    SEARCH
IT Infrastructure, Network Security

Court Ruling Finds FBI Abused Mass Surveillance Data

A 2018 court ruling shows the government used mass surveillance improperly, even four years after Snowden. Big tech should keep resisting.

October 29, 2019 Zachary Comeau Leave a Comment

Mass Surveillance

Federal officials could be combing through our emails and online messages without due process, according to a newly declassified FISA court ruling.

As reported by the Intercept, the FBI could have violated the rights of millions of Americans by inappropriately searching through the National Security Agency’s mass surveillance program data.

The ruling was made in October 2018 by U.S. District Court Judge James E. Boasberg, but the ruling was just declassified this earlier this month, The Intercept said.

Yes, this is the same mass surveillance program formed in the wake of 9/11 that former NSA analyst and whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked to the media in 2013.

Many of the FBI’s searches on the NSA’s trove of information were not legally justified because they didn’t’ involve a criminal investigation or other proper justification for a search, according to the ruling.

The Intercept noted four especially egregious abuses of the system, as detailed in the ruling:

  • During a four-day period in March 2017, the FBI searched mass surveillance data for communications related to an FBI facility, suggesting that agents were spying on other agents.
  • On one day alone, on December 1, 2017, the FBI conducted 6,800 queries using Social Security numbers.
  • A contract linguist for the FBI conducted searches on himself, other FBI employees, and relatives.
  • The FBI regularly used mass surveillance data to investigate potential witnesses and informants who were neither suspected of crimes nor national security concerns.

A handful of the largest tech companies in the U.S. played a role, including Verizon, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook, Google, and Apple.

Read Next: U.S. Wants Encryption Backdoor in Personal Devices

According to The Wall Street Journal, the ruling is public now only because the government lost an appeal in a secret appeals court. The FBI must now create new procedures and a compliance review to protect against further abuse.

What has changed since Snowden’s revelations?

At first glance, it seems like not much has changed, especially if the FBI was using the data for improper activities, even four years after Snowden blew his whistle on the government’s mass collection of citizen data.

However, we should consider several cases where big tech companies have pushed back on government surveillance overreach.

The tech world has also seen a rise in encryption, including popular encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp and Apple beginning to more thoroughly encrypt devices and accounts starting with iOS8 in 2014.

That trend is encouraging, but if the government is still engaging in this kind of activity, big tech needs to continue to up the ante to protect its users.

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!

Tagged With: NSA, Snowden, Surveillance

Related Content:

  • Cloud, SASE, Aryaka How the Cloud is Redefining Media Production and…
  • Software License Spending, SaaS, cloud apps Your Guide to Choosing the Best Cloud Security…
  • IT Budget 2025 Budgeting Tips for IT Pros/CIOs in 2025
  • A close-up of a technician’s hands typing and navigating through troubleshooting steps on a computer in a well-lit office. , natural light, soft shadows, with copy space Five Ways to Reduce Desktop Support Troubleshooting Time

Free downloadable guide you may like:

  • Practical Design Guide for Office SpacesPractical Design Guide for Office Spaces

    Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-face time with co-workers. When designing the office spaces — and meeting spaces in particular — enabling that connection between co-workers is crucial. But introducing the right collaboration technology in meeting spaces can […]

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Downloads

Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces
Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces

Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-fa...

New Camera Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow
New Camera System Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow

Sony's HXC-FZ90 studio camera system combines flexibility and exceptional image quality with entry-level pricing.

Creating Great User Experience and Ultimate Flexibility with Clickshare

Working and collaborating in any office environment today should be meaningful, as workers today go to office for very specific reasons. When desig...

View All Downloads

Would you like your latest project featured on TechDecisions as Project of the Week?

Apply Today!

More from Our Sister Publications

Get the latest news about AV integrators and Security installers from our sister publications:

Commercial IntegratorSecurity Sales

AV-iQ

Footer

TechDecisions

  • Home
  • Welcome to TechDecisions
  • Contact Us
  • Comment Guidelines
  • RSS Feeds
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

Free Technology Guides

FREE Downloadable resources from TechDecisions provide timely insight into the issues that IT, A/V, and Security end-users, managers, and decision makers are facing in commercial, corporate, education, institutional, and other vertical markets

View all Guides
TD Project of the Week

Get your latest project featured on TechDecisions Project of the Week. Submit your work once and it will be eligible for all upcoming weeks.

Enter Today!
Emerald Logo
ABOUTCAREERSAUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERSYour Privacy ChoicesTERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY

© 2025 Emerald X, LLC. All rights reserved.