USA Freedom Act (2015)

The Ley de Libertad de los Estados Unidos, also known as the United States Freedom Act, is a significant legislation passed in 2015. This act aimed to reform the National Security Agency's (NSA) surveillance programs, which were widely criticized for their broad scope and lack of transparency. The legislation was a response to the Edward Snowden revelations, which exposed the extent of the NSA's data collection activities. The act introduced several key reforms, including the requirement for the NSA to obtain a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) before collecting communications data on U.S. citizens. The Ley de Libertad de los Estados Unidos also established new oversight mechanisms to ensure that the NSA's activities are subject to greater transparency and accountability. The act created an independent inspector general to monitor the NSA's compliance with the law and required the agency to provide regular reports to Congress on its surveillance activities. Additionally, the legislation prohibited the NSA from collecting data on U.S. citizens without a warrant, except in cases where there is a reasonable suspicion that the individual is involved in terrorism or espionage. Overall, the Ley de Libertad de los Estados Unidos marked a significant shift in the balance between national security and individual privacy, and its impact on the NSA's surveillance practices continues to be felt today.