FBI and NSA Can Search Americans' Communications Without a Warrant Under Current Law

U.S. intelligence agencies can query a database containing communications of nearly 350,000 foreign targets—which routinely includes Americans' messages—without judicial oversight or a warrant. These "backdoor searches" occur under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which authorizes warrantless collection targeting foreign nationals abroad. Congress is now advancing bipartisan bills to restrict the practice, requiring court approval before analysts search for Americans' information in the collected data.