US Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board : report on FISA and reactions

On 23 January 2014, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB), published a 238 page report on the Telephone Records Program Conducted under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act and on the Operations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Court.

The report contains not only a statutory and constitutional analysis, but also presents recommendations concerning the FISA Court. The PCLOB is an bipartisan and independent agency with wide authority. It analyses and reviews regulations and policies in the executive branch, where the five board members can even access classified material and take statements from employees. In addition to the executive branch oversight, they also advise the President and produce a six-monthly report to Congress. The board had focused on the above mentioned programmes already in the semi-annual report March September 2013.

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