The US House of Representatives recently agreed to reauthorize a controversial spying law, referred to as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Not only did the House expand its mandate for at least two more years, but it also widened its reach considerably. While the US Senate is now set to vote on the legislation, many commentators are worried.
Dubbed by privacy advocates as a "Make Everyone A Spy" provision, one particular amendment has attracted lots of criticism. The reformed FISA seeks to extend the definition of US electronic communication service providers required to spy on people's calls, texts, and emails. This is a level of surveillance that not even the best VPN services would be able to mitigate.
