FBI Queries of Americans' Data Under FISA 702 Rose 35% in 2025; Reauthorization Fight Looms

FBI queries of Americans' data under FISA Section 702 increased 35% in 2025, with CIA, NSA, and NCTC collectively making approximately 7,800 US person queries in 2024, double the 3,800 in 2023. Section 702 sunsets April 20; Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton is pushing an 18-month "clean" extension with no reforms. The SAFE Act requiring warrants for FBI searches of Americans' 702 data has 10 Senate co-sponsors but faces long odds. Former DOJ official Matt Olsen warned on Lawfare that if 702 lapses, the president may rely on Article II authority to conduct equivalent surveillance without FISA court oversight.