Senators Look to Make U.S. Surveillance More Transparent

With U.S. intelligence and Department of Justice officials looking on, senators on Wednesday laid out plans to make the government's data-gathering efforts more transparent.

Appearing at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on U.S. surveillance, Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein of California and Al Franken of Minnesota said they are working on bills that would help address privacy concerns in the wake of leaks last month about the National Security Agency's collection of data from phone and email users. The measures would follow the FISA Accountability and Privacy Protection Act that Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) introduced in June to require more public reporting of government surveillance efforts, among other goals.

Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she supports surveillance programs that allow the government to sweep up user data as part of antiterrorism efforts. But Congress can act to bring greater openness to the government's surveillance efforts, she said.

"I think, based on what I know, [terrorists] will come after us, and I think we need to prevent an attack, wherever we can, from happening," Feinstein said. "That doesn't mean we can't make some changes."

Affiliate publication Corporate Counsel has more.