Security News > 2024 > February > FBI: Give us warrantless Section 702 snooping powers – or China wins

Analysis The FBI's latest PR salvo, as it fights to preserve its warrantless snooping powers on Americans via FISA Section 702, is more big talk of cyberattacks by the Chinese government.

During a US House subcommittee meeting last week on cyber threats from Beijing, FBI boss Christopher Wray told lawmakers that "702 is the greatest tool the FBI has to combat PRC hacking groups." PRC being People's Republic of China.

Wray cited an example he's used previously about how, last year, Section 702 of America's Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allowed the FBI to observe Chinese government snoops trying to break into an unnamed US transportation hub and take action.

We do know, specific to the Volt Typhoon takedown: The FBI obtained warrants that allowed it to remotely search US-based routers that had been infected with backdoor malware by China.

Within the FISA Section 702 debate, the FBI is fighting to retain its powers to conduct, without a warrant, surveillance that may accidentally or otherwise vacuum up US persons' data - powers that have been abused millions of times by the FBI. The Feds last year said auditors determined FBI agents had achieved a 96 percent compliance rate for FISA queries.

Drilling deeper, FISA Section 702 allows the FBI and its fellow federal organizations to monitor foreigners' electronic communications beyond America's borders.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/02/09/fbi_volt_typhoon_section_702/