AI is raising the stakes in the government surveillance debate

Up for renewal on April 20, FISA Section 702 has long been criticized as a backdoor for spying on Americans

Published

April 6, 2026 6:30AM (EDT)

Online surveillance. (Serg Myshkovsky via Getty Images)

A controversial provision used by the federal government as a backdoor for spying on Americans is up for renewal in April. This time, however, analysts say that the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Section 702 is of even greater stakes thanks to artificial intelligence, which has the potential to supercharge the government’s mass surveillance capabilities as well as the national security priorities laid out by President Donald Trump last year.