The FBI has obtained Pegasus spyware from the Israeli company NSO Group, which allows the agency to take complete control of a person’s phone without their knowledge. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has demanded answers from the FBI about how often it uses this invasive tool to hack Americans and whether the agency has gotten authorization from the courts to do so.
“The American people have a right to know the scale of the FBI’s hacking activities and the rules that govern the use of this controversial surveillance technique,” Wyden said in a letter Tuesday to FBI Director Chris Wray.
In particular, Wyden asked whether the FBI warned the State Department about NSO’s software. NSO’s Pegasus tool was later reportedly used to hack the phones of State Department employees overseas.
These practices are a clear violation of our Fourth Amendment right to privacy, and they must be stopped. No American citizen should have to worry that their phone is being used as a spying device by the federal government.
The FBI’s disturbing use of hacking to spy on innocent American citizens must be stopped. It is an egregious violation of our civil liberties, and it is time for Congress to act.
It is essential that Congress steps in to take action against this type of unethical and illegal activity. We must pass legislation that explicitly prohibits the FBI from using hacking to spy on citizens. We must also enact laws that protect citizens from other forms of government surveillance, including the use of facial recognition technology and other invasive methods.
The FBI must be held accountable for its actions and any illegal hacking must be stopped. It is our duty as citizens to stand up for our civil liberties and to ensure that our government is held to the highest standards. We must not let the FBI continue to violate our privacy, and we must take action now.
Hey, Maybe because he’s a Democrat they’ll actually comply or at least respond? I guess we’ll see.
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.
