Government Eyes In the Sky
The federal government and police are finding new ways to use drones to invade privacy.
FBI
Loudmouthed NYPD Union Head Resigns Amid FBI Probe
Ed Mullins is innocent until proven guilty—a distinction he often didn’t extend to others.
A.G. Merrick Garland Tells FBI To Investigate Parents Who Yell at School Officials About Critical Race Theory
School boards want some perturbed parents branded domestic terrorists.
The FBI's Secret FISA Court Surveillance Applications Are Chock Full of Screw-Ups
More than 400 problems were found with 29 warrant requests, twice the number previously revealed.
From Russiagate to the MyPillow Guy, Let's Stop With Electoral Conspiracy Theories
Before Mike Lindell's lunatic claims and Donald Trump's sour grapes over 2020, there was Hillary Clinton and the media's false insistence on Kremlin interference.
The Government Let a U.S. Citizen Spend Months in a Foreign Prison for No Good Reason
Amir Meshal was never charged with a crime.
Could the CIA and FBI Have Stopped 9/11?
We may have misinterpreted 9/11 as a harbinger, when it was really just an outlier.
Biden Won't End the Warfare-Surveillance State
National security reporter Spencer Ackerman on 9/11, mass surveillance at home, and failed wars abroad.
America's Post-9/11 Surveillance Authorities Were Inevitably Turned Against Its Own Citizens
We were warned about the dangerous power of the USA PATRIOT Act. Edward Snowden proved that critics were justified.
Spencer Ackerman: How 9/11 Destabilized America and Produced Trump
The Reign of Terror author on fighting surveillance and interventionism done in the name of stopping jihad.
Federal Agents Had No Authority To Seize Contents of Safe Deposit Boxes, Newly Unsealed Warrant Confirms
The warrant affidavit made generalized accusations against U.S. Private Vaults' customers but provided no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by individuals whose assets have been seized.
Prosecutors Tried To Seize $57K From This Man's Safe Deposit Box Because He Sold Bongs Without a Permit
After getting called out for a "manifestly inadequate" attempt at establishing probable cause for the seizure, the feds now say they will return Joseph Ruiz' money.
Top Cops Pick the Midst of an International Spying Scandal To Demand Encryption Curbs
Regulating privacy protections would put the public at greater risk than criminals.
FBI Seized $900,000 From Safe Deposit Box on 'Pure Conjecture,' Federal Judge Says
Reason has joined a new legal effort seeking to force the government to unseal warrants justifying the FBI's seizure of more than 600 safe deposit boxes.
The FBI Destroyed This Man's Life With Bogus Spying Accusations
The law enforcement agency has a disturbing record of drumming up the very conspiracies they're investigating.
Senators Aim To Curtail Presidential Power Over War, Arms Sales, Emergency Declarations
Plus: The FBI had at least a dozen informants helping put together the plot to kidnap Michigan's governor, price controls fail again, and more.
Haitian Assassination Suspect Had Been DEA Informant
Plus: 88,000 New Jersey marijuana cases dismissed, Slate looks inside the conservative publishing industry, and more...
Cops Say Encryption Hinders Investigations. These Documents Say Otherwise.
Law enforcers have plenty of tools; they just want to paw through our data without effort or expense.
Judge Orders FBI To Halt Forfeiture of Cash, Jewelry From Safe Deposit Boxes
The FBI provided "no factual basis for the seizure," Judge R. Gary Klausner wrote.
The FBI Returned This Innocent Couple's Safe Deposit Box. It Refuses To Give Back Many Others—and Is Trying To Seize $85 Million in Cash.
"It makes me feel like the government is preying on the vulnerable and the weak to line their own pockets."
The FBI Secretly Ran an Encrypted Messaging Service To Conduct the Same Old Drug War Stings
Plus: ACLU identity crisis, Texas bans vaccine rules, and more...
FBI Backs Off Attempt To Subpoena Info on USA Today Readers
Plus: America's love-hate relationship with booze, Twitter CEO says "bitcoin changes absolutely everything," and more...
The FBI Took Their Safe Deposit Box and Everything Inside It. Two Months Later, They're Still Waiting for It To Be Returned.
"When you've done nothing wrong, you shouldn't be subjected to an investigation," says Paul Snitko, whose box was seized in a March 22 FBI raid of a Beverly Hills business.
See the FBI Dig Through an Innocent Woman's Safe Deposit Box
In a lawsuit, attorneys for the box's owner allege that federal agents conducted an illegal search that may have resulted in the loss of some valuable gold coins.
The FBI Seized Heirlooms, Coins, and Cash From Hundreds of Safe Deposit Boxes in Beverly Hills, Despite Knowing 'Some' Belonged to 'Honest Citizens'
Victims of the FBI's constitutionally dubious raid say they've been told to come forward and identify themselves if they want their stuff back.
Report: FBI Misused Foreign Surveillance Powers To Investigate Domestic Crimes
Section 702 is supposed to be used to snoop on spies and terrorists, not Americans.
A Declassified Case Against Torture
Retired FBI agent Ali Soufan argues that the agency's thirst for torture made it harder to protect Americans.
The No-Fly List Is a Civil Liberties Nightmare
Existing laws are more than adequate to handle the Capitol rioters.
The House Just Approved Two Background Check Bills That Would Make an Unfair, Irrational Gun Policy Even Worse
One measure would require checks for nearly all firearm transfers, while the other would increase delays in completing sales.
New Laws Against Domestic Terrorism Are Unnecessary and Dangerous
Violent acts are already illegal, and new tools will inevitably be used against those who annoy the powerful.
Despite Its Own Warning That 'Congress Itself Is the Target,' the Capitol Police Did Not Expect Anything Like Last Month's Riot
The agency also missed an FBI bulletin citing "specific calls for violence."
Support Encryption for Everybody or Place Your Faith in Government Snoops
Government agencies have repeatedly proven themselves to be abusive.
FBI Arrests Activist Daniel Baker Over Posts About Police Abuse and Self Defense
Plus: The aftermath of the New York Times' anti-Pornhub crusade, and more...
Sedition Cases Against Capitol Rioters 'Will Bear Fruit Very Soon,' Says FBI
Plus: Senators call impeachment trial unconstitutional, Biden cancels private prison contracts, Apple sued over Telegram, and more...
Don't Let the Capitol Riot Become a 9/11-Style Excuse for Authoritarianism
Frightening events create openings for attacks on civil liberties.
No, Those Viral Videos Don't Prove That the Capitol Rioters Are Being Added to the No-Fly List
But these lawmakers think they should be.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Aaron Sorkin takes on the famous trial of activists who organized an anti-war protest during the 1968 Democratic convention.
SCOTUS Rules That Federal Agents Can Be Sued When They Violate Your Rights
Now do qualified immunity.
FBI Not Playing Along as Trump Tries To Implicate Joe Biden in Crimes
Plus: White House responds about missing migrant parents, Florida's failing foster care system, and more...
When Encryption Was a Crime: The 1990s Battle for Free Speech in Software
Part three in Reason's documentary series, "Cypherpunks Write Code," tells the story of the U.S. government's long battle to keep strong cryptography out of the hands of its citizens
Justin Amash Votes Against Resolution Urging FBI To Investigate QAnon Conspiracy Theory
Congress' one Libertarian member cited the counterproductive, free speech-threatening nature of the resolution to explain his "no" vote.
Trump Teases Possible Edward Snowden Pardon. He Should Do It!
At least something good could come out of this mess of an investigation.
Appeals Court Panel Rules in Favor of Michael Flynn's Release
Majority 2–1 opinion says prosecutors, not judges, have the discretion to drop the case against the former Trump aide.
Federal Policing Needs Reform Too
Deep ranks of enforcers with expansive powers and wide-ranging responsibilities will always pose a risk to the public, no matter which level of government employs them.
Federal Aircraft Accused of Tracking Protesters
Plus: Breonna’s Law bans no-knock raids in Kentucky, Amazon's third-party problem, new findings on metabolism, and more...
