this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2026
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Using a VPN May Subject You to NSA Spying (www.wired.com)
submitted 1 day ago by UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
67 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

In a letter sent Thursday to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, the lawmakers say that because VPNs obscure a user's true location, and because intelligence agencies presume that communications of unknown origin are foreign, Americans may be inadvertently waiving the privacy protections they're entitled to under the law.

Several federal agencies, including the FBI, NSA, and FTC, have recommended that consumers use VPNs to protect their privacy. But following that advice may inadvertently cost Americans the very protections they're seeking.

The letter was signed by members of the Democratic Party’s progressive flank: Senators Ron Wyden, Elizabeth Warren, Edward Markey, and Alex Padilla, along with Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Sara Jacobs.

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[–] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 73 points 1 day ago (2 children)

So in the US, locking your metaphorical doors or windows, or closing your digital curtains, means that authorities can presume you are hiding something and your 4th Amendments rights cease to be valid.

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

Well, while I agree with that sentiment, you may be looking at it the wrong way.

It's not that locking your doors gives them permission, it's that they're just doing it whether you lock your doors or not.

Imagine you're the NSA, imagine you're already spying on every American who isn't using a VPN (not because you have any legal right to, but because you can). Now ask yourself, where's your biggest blind spot?

This is why they want legal permission to spy on people using VPNs. If they can do it legally, they can just walk right into a VPN's server room and install whatever eyes they want on the inside.

All I'm saying, is that there is no legal justification for this, they don't care. Their plan is simple, spy on everyone, fuck the law.

[–] hansolo@lemmy.today 45 points 1 day ago

All while abusing Third Party Doctrine to buy your data from advertisers and Palantir anyway.

If a VPN routing of someone in Chicago is via Texas and California, what judge would see that as "foreign"? Oh, right, one of their idiot ones they like to give cases like this.