Topic: Intelligence Authorization Act

The Senate's Intelligence Authorization Act for 2016 included Section 603, which would require social media companies to report "actual knowledge" of terrorist activity to authorities. Critics view this as a significant burden on Silicon Valley firms like Twitter and Facebook.

The Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, specifically Section 309, establishes new procedures for the retention of incidentally acquired communications. This legislation permits the acquisition and retention of non-public electronic communications for up to five years, even without a court order, if they involve United States persons. Critics argue the bill legitimizes existing bulk collection practices and provides legal cover for the intelligence community to monitor domestic data.

A New York Times report reveals that a Blackwater manager threatened to kill a State Department investigator in Iraq with impunity. Simultaneously, the 2014 Intelligence Authorization Act is discussed, highlighting a peculiar clause that specifically excludes the FBI from certain whistleblower protections and limitations on authority.

Title 5 of the Intelligence Authorization Act is identified as aggressive anti-whistleblower legislation that criminalizes the disclosure of classified information to media personnel. The act includes provisions for expanded polygraph testing for government employees and contractors to prevent leaks, which the hosts argue targets transparency.

House Resolution 1892 authorizes funding for numerous intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA, and FBI. The act includes a classified schedule of authorizations that the President cannot publicly disclose. It also establishes a new Chief Information Officer (CIO) position for the intelligence community and allocates over half a billion dollars for CIA retirement funds.