Biden administration urges Congress to renew warrantless surveillance law

Section 702 cast as an essential tool to gather intelligence about terrorists and other foreign targets located overseas

The Biden administration has formally urged Congress to reauthorize a high-profile warrantless surveillance program, warning in a letter to top lawmakers that allowing the provision to expire could sharply limit the intelligence on foreign threats and targets the government collects.

The law - named section 702 - allows the US government to collect the communications of targeted foreigners abroad by compelling service providers like Google to produce copies of messages and internet data, or networks like Verizon to intercept and turn over phone call and message data.