Lawmakers Seek Watchdog Review of Federal Hacking of Americans

Senator Wyden Urges GAO Probe Into Federal Use of Commercial Hacking Tools

A US senator has called on the Government Accountability Office to examine how federal agencies acquire and deploy hacking tools, raising fresh questions about oversight, transparency, and the balance between national security needs and civil liberties. The request, sent by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon to GAO Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, focuses on the procurement and use of commercial offensive cyber capabilities by agencies including the FB…

Lawmakers seek watchdog review of federal hacking of Americans

A pair of lawmakers wants a watchdog agency to probe how the federal government hacks Americans, including with the use of spyware, and deliver a report to the public. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, wrote to the Government Accountability Office on Friday to request the review. “While federal law enforcement agencies have used hacking and spyware as an investigative tool for more than 25 years, there exists little public in…

Senator asks US government watchdog to review how feds use hacking tools

Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to the U.S. federal watchdog requesting a comprehensive review of how the FBI, DEA, ICE's HSI, and the Secret Service use hacking tools and spyware against Americans.

Philly mob case launched federal spyware use 27 years ago

Photo: Ruben Boekeloo / Pexels Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon is pushing the U.S. Government Accountability Office to investigate how federal agencies use hacking tools and spyware against Americans. The request, made in a letter Friday, traces the history of these tools back to a Philadelphia case that put the city at the center of a surveillance milestone. The earliest documented case of the FBI using spyware dates to 1999, when agents investigating…

Senator Ron Wyden Seeks GAO Review of Federal Hacking and Spyware Use

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden is asking the Government Accountability Office to investigate how federal law enforcement agencies use hacking tools and spyware against Americans, citing limited public information about how often the technologies are deployed and what safeguards govern their use. The requested review covers the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Secret Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, made …