It has been known for a long time that the US government engages in extensive electronic surveillance activities overseas through the National Security Agency and other components of the intelligence community. Some of these activities are unilateral, some are undertaken in cooperation with various allies. Regardless of what the international surveillance systems are called, they merit examination in terms of their effect on the communications privacy of US citizens. Revolutionary changes in communications technology since 1978 prompt our call for a fresh Congressional look at the implications of US surveillance of international communications on the rights of Americans. The volume of sensitive corporate and personal information being transmitted electronically has multiplied exponentially.
International communications are now common.
Most businesses, even small businesses, recognize that they must compete globally. The Internet has emerged as the first truly global communications medium. Indeed, because of the nature of satellite communications and the Internet, messages sent from one point in the US to another destination in the US may cross US borders and even pass through Europe or other countries. At the same time that the dividing line between domestic and international communications has blurred, so has the dividing line between law enforcement and foreign intelligence. Intelligence agencies are drawn increasingly into activities in support of law enforcement objectives.