US Lawmakers Question Whether NSA Can Target VPN Users Under Surveillance Authorities

Letter to Intelligence Director Raises Concerns That VPN Usage May Actually Increase Government Surveillance\n\nUS lawmakers have questioned Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard over whether US surveillance authorities allow the NSA to target people who use VPNs, raising alarming implications for privacy-conscious internet users.\n\n### The Concern\n\n- US lawmakers sent letter questioning NSA surveillance of VPN users\n- Current law may allow targeting of VPN users even with overseas servers\n- VPNs marketed as privacy tools may paradoxically increase surveillance risk\n- Directed at Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard\n\n### The Legal Loophole\n\nDue to how US surveillance law treats targets outside the US, using a VPN that connects to foreign servers may not provide the protection users expect. The NSA's authorities under FISA Section 702 and related provisions may actually make VPN users more susceptible to surveillance, not less.\n\n### Implications\n\nThis revelation undermines a core selling point of VPN services — that they protect user privacy. If using a VPN makes someone more likely to be targeted by intelligence agencies, the privacy calculus for millions of users changes fundamentally.\n\n### Industry Response\n\nVPN providers and privacy advocates are calling for legislative clarity to close what they describe as a dangerous gap in surveillance law that punishes privacy-conscious behavior.\n\nSource: WIRED