The Clapper v Amnesty International Case Overview

The Clapper v Amnesty International case revolves around a 2013 Supreme Court ruling regarding the federal government’s surveillance practices under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The ruling established that individuals who suspect they have been subjected to illegal surveillance cannot bring a lawsuit unless they can first prove that the surveillance occurred. This Catch-22 effectively protects the government from legal challenges concerning its surveillance activities, as proving that one is being surveilled by the National Security Agency (NSA) is a near-impossible burden to meet. The court’s decision reflects a broader trend of judicial deference to government security measures, creating significant implications for individual privacy rights.