Section 702 authorizes warrantless surveillance of foreign citizens. However, it has been "interpreted" by the FISA court to allow US intelligence agencies to wiretap conversations between a US citizen and a foreign target of Section 702 surveillance. The intelligence agencies can then conduct warrantless surveillance of Americans who communicate with that American.

Section 702 has been promoted to the American people by promising that the warrantless wiretapping it authorizes would be used to protect Americans from terrorism. However, Section 702 warrantless surveillance is used for investigations of non-terrorist crimes like drug war crimes and is shared with the FBI.

An additional threat to privacy is contained in Section 622 of this year's Intelligence Authorization Act. This new provision requires the president to share with Israel intelligence related to "cybersecurity threats, terrorism, sanctions evasion, plans and intentions of state and nonstate actors, adversarial technology proliferation, missile threats, unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, air and space domain awareness, and other aerial threats." Requiring the president to share intelligence with a foreign government is unprecedented and arguably violates the president's constitutional authority as commander-in-chief. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, who is the sponsor of this bill, is the type of military hawk who usually supports giving the president absolute power in foreign and military affairs, even when the president's actions are blatantly unconstitutional.