A key U.S. spy tool is set to lapse on Friday — now what?

Key Points:

• Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a crucial tool used annually by U.S. intelligence to collect communications from foreigners abroad, is set to expire, though intelligence collection may continue temporarily under existing court authorization.
• Despite legal provisions requiring companies to comply with intelligence requests even after lapse, some lawmakers fear companies might challenge the law in court, potentially causing interruptions in intelligence gathering during significant upcoming events.
• The law has faced ongoing controversy due to privacy concerns, as Americans' communications can be incidentally collected and accessed by law enforcement without a warrant, prompting calls for reforms including stronger privacy protections.
• Efforts to renew Section 702 with moderate reforms stalled following President Trump's controversial nomination of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, leading Democrats and some Republicans to oppose reauthorization under his leadership.
• Both the House and Senate failed to pass extensions before leaving for recess, with the Senate returning next week and the House not scheduled to reconvene until late June, leaving the future of Section 702 uncertain.