FBI calls for extension of 'warrantless surveillance authority'

Wray briefed the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on the activities of the FBI.

Reminding that the authorization that grants the FBI broad surveillance capabilities under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is set to expire on December 31, Wray stated that this authority is of vital importance for U.S. national security.

Arguing that the government's authority to conduct and execute warrantless surveillance abroad is crucial against cyber and terror threats, Wray said, "The expiration of our 702 authorities would be devastating to the FBI's ability to protect Americans from these threats."

Highlighting cyberattacks originating from Iran and China, Wray warned that stripping the FBI of its 702 authority would be "a form of unilateral disarmament."

Pointing to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Wray said that the possibility of a terrorist attack against the U.S. has reached an "unprecedented" level.

Noting that he sees warning lights for threats everywhere, the FBI director stated, "I have never seen a time where all the threats or so many of the threats are all elevated all at once."

SECTION 702 UNDER DEBATE

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which grants U.S. federal law enforcement the authority to conduct warrantless surveillance on targets outside the U.S., has come under scrutiny by lawmakers in Congress in recent years, especially after it was revealed that the private data of U.S. citizens was being collected alongside that of foreign targets.

A bipartisan group in Congress introduced a bill last month that would impose new restrictions on the surveillance of U.S. citizens' communications and prohibit warrantless spying and searches on Americans under the guise of foreign intelligence.

Government officials, meanwhile, have argued that the information collected under Section 702 is vital for countering cyber threats and preventing foreign intelligence operations directed at the U.S.