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US Senate approves data collection US Senate votes to curtail bulk data collection
(35 minutes later)
The US Senate has voted to allow the government to resume surveillance of phone data, but with new restrictions. The US Senate has voted to limit the government's ability to collect phone data, a policy that had been in place since the attacks of 11 September 2001.
The USA Freedom Act extends the government's ability to collect large amounts of data, a power that expired on Sunday. The USA Freedom Act extends the government's ability to collect large amounts of data, but with restrictions.
The law, which replaces the Patriot Act, had been backed by President Barack Obama as a necessary tool to fight terrorism. The bill, which replaces the Patriot Act, had been backed by President Barack Obama as a necessary tool to fight terrorism.
The law passed 67 - 32 and now goes to Mr Obama to sign into law. Mr Obama said on Tuesday that he will sign the bill into law.
The bill undoes a national security policy that had been in place since shortly after the attacks on 11 September 2001.
The new law replaces a National Security Agency (NSA) program in which the spy agency collected personal data en masse.
The revelation of this program by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden triggered a global public backlash.
The NSA would now be required to selectively request data, which will be stored on telephone and internet company servers rather than government servers.
Patriot Act vs Freedom Act
What is changing? The expiry of the Patriot Act brings to an end bulk collection of Americans' phone metadata - who called who, when and for how long, but not the content of calls - by the US. Under its successor, records must be held by telecommunications companies and investigators need a court order to access specific information. Technology companies will be given greater leeway to reveal data requests. The measures are intended to balance concerns on privacy with providing the authorities the tools they need to prevent attacks.
What stays the same? Key parts of the Patriot Act are retained in the Freedom Act. They include the provision allowing the monitoring of "lone wolf" suspects - potential attackers not linked to foreign terror groups, despite the US authorities admitting the powers have never been used. The Freedom Act also maintains a provision allowing investigators to monitor travel and business records of individuals, something law officers says is more effective than bulk collection.