Less than a week after the discovery that the FBI was using fictitious names of companies to conceal the use of small planes to spy on Americans, Sen. Al Franken is demanding more information on the surveillance flights, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The small planes, mostly single-engine Cessnas, were used nationwide to assist in criminal investigations.
“Many Americans have been troubled by these reports, and as ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, I believe it is important to ensure that these programs adequately protect Americans’ privacy while furthering public safety and national security,” Franken wrote to Attorney General Loretta Lynch said.
Franken wanted to know what kind of technology was being used and what the legal basis was for the flights.
“What safeguards are in place to ensure that innocent Americans’ privacy is protected during aerial surveillance utilizing technology that collects data and personal information?” he asked.
The FBI and Justice Department have declined to comment.
