NSA's Phone Spying Program Ruled Illegal By Appeals Court

Scott L. Vernick was quoted in the Reuters article, "NSA's Phone Spying Program Ruled Illegal by Appeals Court." Full text can be found in the May 7, 2015, issue, but a synopsis is below.

On Thursday, the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled a U.S. spying program that systematically collects millions of Americans' phone records is illegal.

The pressure is now on Congress to decide whether to replace or end the controversial anti-terrorism surveillance.

If Congress revamps the National Security Agency (NSA) program, courts may need to review what it does. If Congress reauthorizes Section 215 of the Patriot Act, there could be further litigation, which could require the Supreme Court.