This article reviews the development process for the legislation, regulating the U. S. intelligence agencies’ activities in the field of electronic surveillance. The article displays the reasons which prompted U. S. lawmakers to pass the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978; it analyzes the provisions of the law, governing the conditions and procedures for obtaining judicial order or Attorney General authorization on the implementation of electronic surveillance. Considerable attention is paid to the evolution of legal standards, added to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after the events of September 11, 2001. In particular, it analyzes amendments and additions to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, introduced on the basis of the USA Patriot Act of 2001, Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, Protect America Act of 2007, and other laws. The article also shows the patterns of formation of the legislative balance between the interests of the intelligence services and the need to respect the constitutional rights and liberties of American citizens.
Electronic surveillance, judicial order, international communication, counterintelligence activities, national security, national defense, internal security, intelligence agency, agent of a foreign power, international terrorism.
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