Better late than never, there finally appears to be some Section 702 reform efforts underway in Washington DC. Tech companies have been oddly silent over the last several months, allowing the government to fill the void with demands for a clean, forever reauthorization.

The reform bill [PDF], titled the USA Liberty Act, allows for the renewal of Section 702 authorities, but with some minor alterations. First off, the bill codifies the NSA‘s voluntary shutdown of its „about“ email collection. If passed intact, the bill would prevent the NSA from collecting „about“ communications until 2023. It also adds some warrant requirements for searches of 702 content by law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.