FBI Ran Over 3 Million Searches on Americans' Electronic Data

For the first time, the approximate number of searches run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation against U.S. citizens using data collected from Section 702 inquiries is available within the Annual Statistical Transparency Report, revealing that the approximate number of searches on U.S. citizen’s electronic data by the FBI was just under 3,394,053, or about 3.4 million––all without a warrant. 

The 2021 year report, a document issued annually that outlines U.S. intelligence agencies’ surveillance practices, was released in late April by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. It offers a snapshot of the data queries agencies run against non-U.S. persons under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendment’s Section 702. 

Critically, searches using provisions outlined in Section 702 cannot be levied against U.S. citizens and do not require warrants. What the most recent report reveals, however, was the number of queries the FBI conducted on U.S. citizens using information gathered from Section 702-acquired information obtained by the National Security Agency.