The USA Freedom Act: A smaller Big Brother

[Commentary] We had hoped that Congress would take a fresh look at whether the bulk collection program is necessary at all, given a presidential task force's conclusion that it was "not essential to preventing attacks." But if Congress is determined to continue the program, it must establish safeguards.

The USA Freedom Act does this, though there is room for improvement. Under this legislation, the government can continue to search telephone records when there is a reasonable suspicion of a connection to terrorism. But it will no longer be able to warehouse those records, and it will have to satisfy a court that it isn't on a fishing expedition. Those are eminently reasonable restrictions — unless you believe that the war against Islamic State and similar groups means that Americans must sacrifice their right to privacy in perpetuity.