A Backroom Deal Looms Over Section 702 Surveillance Fight

Congressional sources say a host of pro-privacy reforms, including new warrant requirements for obtaining commercially available data, have gained traction among an anomalous coalition of progressives and conservatives otherwise at odds on most matters.

Last week , House members became aware that closed-door discussions were ongoing at the highest levels concerning the latest pro privacy reforms to gain widespread legislative support.

A source with knowledge of the 702 fight tells WIRED that last week House speaker Mike Johnson and House majority leader Steve Scalise met privately.

The Section 702 program was last extended in December until April , when certifications issued by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court expire.

Lawmakers opposed to warrants agreed in December that the FBI should obtain a warrant before accessing 702 data in investigations that lack a foreign component.

Some experts have forecast that the intelligence community may begin to apply for new certifications as early as next month .