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Working to ensure that efforts by the Executive Branch to protect the nation from terrorism appropriately safeguard privacy and civil liberties.

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Featured Reports

Report on the Telephone Records Program Conducted under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act and on the Operations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court

The Board's report on the bulk telephone records program conducted under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act on the operations of the FISA court. The report contains descriptive, legal, and policy analyses of both the telephone records program and the FISA court, and it offers twelve recommendations to increase privacy and civil liberties protections.

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Report on the Surveillance Program Operated Pursuant to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

The Board's report on the surveillance program directed at international telephone and internet communications conducted under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The report provides descriptive, legal, and policy analysis of the program and offers ten recommendations to further ensure the protection of privacy and civil liberties.

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PCLOB Releases Update on Government's Implementation of the PCLOB Recommendations on Section 215 and Section 702

The bipartisan Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) has released a report that provides an update on the progress the government has made toward implementing agency recommendations. The "Recommendations Assessment Report" outlines the status of 22 recommendations PCLOB made as part of two separate reports.

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The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board has voted to initiate three new oversight projects, including a review of the use of facial recognition and other biometric technologies in aviation security.

The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board has voted to initiate three new oversight projects, including a review of the use of facial recognition and other biometric technologies in aviation security.

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What is the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board?

The Board is an independent, bipartisan agency within the executive branch established by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act, Pub. L. 110-53, signed into law in August 2007. Comprised of four part-time members and a full-time chairman, the Board is vested with two fundamental authorities; (1) To review and analyze actions the executive branch takes to protect the nation from terrorism, ensuring the need for such actions is balanced with the need to protect privacy and civil liberties and (2) To ensure that liberty concerns are appropriately considered in the development and implementation of laws, regulations, and policies related to efforts to protect the nation against terrorism.