American tech may be forced to do so

The U.S. House of Representatives recently agreed to reauthorize a controversial spy bill called Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Not only did the House extend its mandate for at least another two years, but it also significantly expanded its reach. While the US Senate will now vote on the legislation, many commentators are concerned.

One specific amendment, described by privacy advocates as a “Make Everyone a Spy” provision, has drawn widespread criticism. The reformed FISA seeks to expand the definition of U.S. electronic communications service providers required to spy on people’s calls, text messages and emails. This is a level of surveillance that even the best VPN services could not mitigate.