Civic term
Section 702
Also written as: FISA Section 702
What it means
The provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act authorising warrantless collection of communications of non-U.S. persons reasonably believed to be located outside the United States. Americans' communications are swept in incidentally, which is what the recurring reauthorisation fights turn on.
Definition drawn from law.cornell.edu · last verified 2026-08-18
Sift's plain-language summary of the cited source, not a quotation from it.
How it's being covered
142 stories in Sift's index, from 25 outlets.
Filed 2026-04-10 — 2026-09-18.
Counts stories whose headline or summary uses the term, plus stories where Sift's own reading notes flagged it — many pieces turn on a term they never spell out in the headline.
Across the spectrum
- Left48 stories
- Center55 stories
- Right31 stories
Positions are AllSides' published ratings, shown for the outlets that filed these stories. 8 stories are counted in the total above but not placed here — either the outlet has no published rating, or Sift has not yet matched the name it files under to a dossier.
Who's covering it
- The HillCenter 39
- PoliticoLean Left 15
- Washington ExaminerLean Right 14
- CBS NewsLean Left 9
- The GuardianLean Left 9
- Fox NewsLean Right 8
- AxiosCenter 7
- The New York TimesLean Left 5
- The VergeLean Left 4
- CNBCCenter 3
- NPRCenter 3
- The Daily CallerRight 3
- The InterceptLeft 3
- The Washington PostLean Left 3
- Bloomberg NewsCenter 2
- National ReviewRight 2
- New York PostRight 2
- ReasonLean Right 2
- Roll Call2
- The Dispatch2
- Ars Technica1
- PBS NewsHourCenter 1
- South China Morning Post1
- TechCrunch1
- WIRED1
Recent stories on Sift
Intelligence community warned Congress on FISA 702 deadlines, but some Democrats have doubts
International students fear midterms won't help pro-Palestinian activists targeted by Trump
US lawmakers demand investigation into Trump administration’s secret surveillance of Americans
Senate confirms Jay Clayton as Trump's next intelligence chief
Senate confirms Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence
Dems reject Trump’s top spy pick after demanding replacement, leaving counter-terror tool in air
Cellphone companies still collecting surveillance data on foreign threats despite FISA lapse
Senate clears way for Trump's top spy as key anti-terror program remains in limbo
Democrats press intel nominee Jay Clayton in tense confirmation hearing
The First Congress Enshrined Warrants Into Law — But This Congress Continues To Push Warrantless Spying Tool
Watch live: House Republicans give remarks amid push to revive FISA
FISA’s Section 702 Has Lapsed. What Now?