Edward Snowden Sounds Alarm on NSA's Plans to Expand Surveillance Under New FISA Amendment

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has warned that the National Security Agency (NSA) is on the verge of significantly expanding its surveillance capabilities through a new bill amending Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), potentially allowing the government to compel a wide array of businesses and individuals to assist in NSA surveillance operations. The bill, which has passed the U.S. House of Representatives despite opposition from privacy advocates and some politicians, could force even small businesses and service providers with internet-related services to hand over data, while imposing strict gag orders on those required to provide information. Critics, including Democratic Senator Ron Wyden and Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, have voiced strong opposition, calling the bill a massive overreach of government surveillance powers and a threat to constitutional rights, with the Senate vote scheduled for April 19.