Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Secret Law
Wyden: The Public Must Know How Many Americans Are Swept Up In Warrantless Surveillance Under FISA 702
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., took to the Senate floor today to call for the executive branch to finally reveal how many Americans have their phone calls, emails and other communications swept up - without warrants - under a surveillance program intended to target people overseas. Wyden has spent six years seeking how many law-abiding Americans have their calls and messages swept up under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The program expires at the end … Continue Reading
March 15, 2017
Wyden, Lieu Ask DHS To Tell Americans About Serious Security Threat to Mobile Phones
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., today urged the Department of Homeland Security to tell Americans how their security may be threatened by a vulnerability that could allow hackers and foreign governments to track, wiretap, and hack their mobile phones. "We suspect that most Americans simply have no idea how easy it is for a relatively sophisticated adversary to track their movements, tap their calls, and hack their smartphones. We are also concerned that … Continue Reading
March 08, 2017
Wyden Renews Request for Number of Americans Caught in Foreign Intelligence Dragnet
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today asked the executive branch and the nominee to serve as Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, to provide the number of Americans whose calls, emails and other communications have been collected without warrants under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Wyden asked for this information before a full Senate vote on the confirmation of Senator Coats, who has stated that the reauthorization of Section 702 is his "top … Continue Reading
February 20, 2017
Wyden Questions Misguided Digital Border Searches
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today asked the Department of Homeland Security to explain reports of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agents demanding access to Americans' locked phones and other digital devices when crossing the U.S. border. Wyden also asked about the department's plans to require visitors to the United States to turn over their private social medial passwords as a condition of entry. "These digital dragnet border search practices weaken our national and … Continue Reading
February 15, 2017
Wyden, Chaffetz, Conyers Bill To Crack Down on Warrantless Tracking by the Government, Use of Cell-Site Technology
Washington, D.C. - As government agencies expand their use of cell-site simulators or "stingrays" and other digital tracking technology, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and Rep. John Conyers, Jr., D-Mich., today introduced the Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance Act, to create clear rules for when agencies can access and track an individual's geolocation information. "Outdated laws shouldn't be an excuse for open season on tracking Americans, and owning a smartphone or … Continue Reading
January 20, 2017
Senators Oppose Rushed Confirmation For CIA Nominee
WASHINGTON - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., today said they oppose a rushed confirmation of Rep. Mike Pompeo to serve as director of the Director of Central Intelligence without senators having the opportunity to debate the nomination. "No CIA Director in history has ever been confirmed on Inauguration Day. The importance of the position of CIA Director, especially in these dangerous times, demands that the nomination be thoroughly … Continue Reading
January 13, 2017
Wyden Praises Removal of “Browser Spying” and Restrictions on Privacy Watchdog from Intelligence Authorization Act
Washington, D.C. - Sen. Wyden, D-Ore., succeeded in removing two problematic provisions from the 2017 Intelligence Authorization Act, which was voted out of the Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday. The first would have given the government access to Americans' browsing history, email records and other digital records without so much as a court order. The second provision would have limited the jurisdiction of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. Wyden blocked the bill from … Continue Reading
January 07, 2017
Wyden Statement on Selection of Senator Coats to Serve as Director of National Intelligence
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, released the following statement on the announcement Sen. Dan Coats will be nominated to serve as the next Director of National Intelligence: "Dan Coats has been a friend and respected colleague for years. We worked closely on bipartisan partners on tax reform, and never let our strong disagreements about surveillance and other intelligence issuesget in the way of a friendship," Wyden said. "I … Continue Reading
November 30, 2016
Bipartisan Senators Question Rush to Expand DOJ Hacking Authority Without Congressional Oversight
Washington, D.C.-Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Chris Coons, D-Del., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., today made a last-ditch effort to delay broad new government hacking authority that is now set to go into effect tomorrow. Wyden, Coons and Daines asked the Senate to pass or vote on three separate measures to block or delay a set of new rules that would broadly expand government hacking authority without any Congressional input or hearing. The bipartisan group of senators has repeatedly asked for … Continue Reading
November 17, 2016
Wyden Statement on Director Clapper’s Resignation
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on the announcement of Director of National Intelligence James Clapper's resignation: "During Director Clapper's tenure, senior intelligence officials engaged in a deception spree regarding mass surveillance. Top officials, officials who reported to Director Clapper, repeatedly misled the American people and even lied to them. In 2012 you saw the Director of the NSA make statements like 'we don't hold data … Continue Reading
October 27, 2016
Bipartisan Coalition Presses DOJ About Government Hacking
Washington, D.C. -A bipartisan coalition of Senate and House lawmakers today asked Attorney General Loretta Lynch to provide Congress with more information about a proposed expansion of government hacking and surveillance powers. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Judiciary Committee member Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., with House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. John Conyers, Jr., D-Mich., and senior Judiciary Committee member Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, led a … Continue Reading
October 07, 2016
Wyden: The Executive Branch Must Always Declassify New Interpretations of Federal Surveillance Law
WASHINGTON - Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement, following media reports about mass-scanning of Americans' emails. Wyden has not commented on the veracity of those reports. "Recent reports of a mass-email scanning program have alleged that federal law is being interpreted in ways that many Americans would find surprising and troubling," Wyden said. "The USA Freedom Act requires the executive branch to declassify Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court opinions that … Continue Reading
September 27, 2016
Following Massive Data Breach Affecting Millions Of Customers, Wyden, Leahy, and Leading Democratic Senators Press Yahoo! For Answers
WASHINGTON - Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., joined Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and other sponsors of a comprehensive data security and breach notification bill that requires companies to take reasonable steps to secure their customers' sensitive data and notify customers in the event of a hack, and called on the leader of Yahoo! to disclose how a massive hack at their company went unnoticed for two years. In a letter to Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer, Wyden, Leahy and leading Democratic Senators asked the … Continue Reading
September 08, 2016
Wyden Calls For A Vote on SMH Act To Stop Massive Expansion of Government Hacking Into Americans’ Personal Devices
Washington, D.C. -. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today went to the Senate floor to call for a vote on his bill to stop a dangerous plan that would make it far easier for the government to hack into Americans' personal devices on a massive scale. "This major policy change will make it easier for the government to hack into your personal devices and collect information about you," Wyden said. "By allowing the government to use secret, untested malware, it could end up damaging not only our personal … Continue Reading
June 27, 2016
Wyden Places Hold on Intelligence Authorization Bill that Needlessly Expands FBI surveillance, Undermines Independent Oversight
Washington, D.C. - Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today placed a hold on the 2017 Intelligence Authorization bill, over provisions that would let the FBI demand Americans' web browsing histories and other digital data without court oversight. A bipartisan coalition of senators defeated a similar FBI spying proposal in a Senate floor vote last week. Wyden was the only senator to vote against the bill in the Senate Intelligence Committee. Wyden also objects to a provision placing new restrictions … Continue Reading
June 16, 2016
Wyden Corrects the Record on Encryption Following Open Hearing with CIA Director
WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement today correcting CIA Director John Brennan's inaccurate description of the foreign encryption market at today's open hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence: "It is clearly inaccurate to say that foreign encryption is a 'theoretical' capability. Strong encryption technologies are available from foreign sources today - half of them of them are inexpensive and the other half are free. U.S. tech companies … Continue Reading
May 06, 2016
Wyden response to Justice Department claim that they are permitted to keep 2003 OLC memo secret
Sen. Wyden made the following statement today regarding the Justice Department's new filing in the ACLU FOIA case regarding a classified legal opinion from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel dated March 30, 2003. "The Justice Department isn't denying that this opinion is inconsistent with the public's understanding of the law - they are just arguing that they should be allowed to keep it secret," said Wyden. The Justice Department has a long track record of denying that the … Continue Reading
April 08, 2016
Wyden Statement on Draft Bill Requiring Companies to Undermine Strong Encryption
Senator Ron Wyden issued the following statement today, in response to a draft bill that would require companies to undermine strong encryption: "This legislation says a company can design what they want their back door to look like, but it would definitely require them to build a back door," Wyden said. "For the first time in America, companies who want to provide their customers with stronger security would not have that choice - they would be required to decide how to weaken their products … Continue Reading
April 06, 2016
Wyden Statement on WhatsApp Implementing End-to-End Encryption
Washington, D.C. -Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement about WhatsApp's announcement it will upgrade security for millions of people who use its messaging app: "This is a significant step to strengthen online security for millions of people worldwide. Consumers are demanding the best possible security for their digital communications and WhatsApp is just the latest company moving to meet that demand. This is especially important for human rights activists, political … Continue Reading
February 09, 2016
Watch: Wyden Questions CIA Director on Searching Senate Files, Director of National Intelligence on Strong Encryption
Washington, D.C. -Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore, pressed CIA Director John Brennan on the CIA's improper search of Senate files at a rare open hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence today. "When you're talking about spying on the committee responsible for overseeing your agency, in my view that undermines the very checks and balances that protect our democracy and it is unacceptable in a free society," Wyden said. The CIA's own Inspector General concluded the CIA "improperly … Continue Reading
