Wyden Urges Surveillance Reform After Carrier Lapses

Senator Ron Wyden has warned that AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile failed to notify lawmakers about government surveillance requests on Senate-funded phone lines, violating contractual obligations until recently. The lack of notification exposed senators and staffers to secret executive branch surveillance, undermining legislative independence. Although notification gaps for campaign and personal devices remain, some carriers like Google Fi Wireless, U.S. Mobile, and Cape now notify all customers of government demands when possible. Wyden's concerns stem from past incidents, such as the Trump administration's secret collection of congressional phone data. He has urged colleagues to consider carriers with robust notification policies and is calling for legislative reforms to better protect both lawmakers and the public from unchecked surveillance. The developments highlight ongoing risks from domestic and foreign surveillance threats.