US Surveillance Powers Lapse as World Cup Security Fears Grow

A major US surveillance authority expired Saturday, deepening concerns over national security as the World Cup gets underway and Washington remains deadlocked over President Donald Trump's intelligence leadership.

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allowed US spy agencies to collect communications of foreign targets overseas without a warrant, including when they contact people inside the United



States.

Officials describe the program as one of Washington's most important counterterrorism and espionage tools, while privacy advocates and lawmakers in both parties have long warned that it can sweep up Americans' communications without adequate safeguards. 

The authority expired at midnight Friday going into Saturday after the House of Representatives and Senate both failed to pass a short-term extension on Thursday.