Out of more than 39,000 applications presented to the FISC through the end of 2016, only 51 have been rejected, with the majority, 34, of those rejections coming in 2016.
While most FISC warrants remain classified, the few which have emerged through leaks, or been forced into the public domain by First Amendment lawsuits, paint a rather bleak picture. These warrants tell us the FISC has issued “mass” warrants which permit government surveillance based on statistical “selectors.”
the FISC routinely includes authorization in their warrants for the government to surveil people in contact with their target, and people in contact with the contact; in a scheme referred to as “chaining,” these authorizations will include 2 or 3 “hops.”
I recall hearing James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence under Obama, say that FISC was no rubber stamp and was an important safeguard. Their 0.13% rejection rate suggests otherwise.
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FYI: Ladar Levison founded Lavabit. Key quotes:
I recall hearing James Clapper, former Director of National Intelligence under Obama, say that FISC was no rubber stamp and was an important safeguard. Their 0.13% rejection rate suggests otherwise.