.@aviswanatha speaks with Matt Olsen of @TheJusticeDept at #verify2022 about government surveillance: 
Olsen responds to the report that the FBI searched its special surveillance database 3.4 million times last year, the first time it’s ever released that number; says 1.9 million of those queries related to a *single* Russian cyber threat and a search for victims. #verify2022
That report is here: wsj.com/articles/fbi-c…
In 2021, there were more than 300 FISA wiretaps, down from 1800 the year before. Olsen says there’s an obvious “significant drop” and not sure why—reasons range from Covid travel restrictions to dropping CT threat but he worries that it may be agents find FISA too hard now.
Worried recent FISA reforms may have made compliance more challenging than it needs to be.
The complexity has led to a possible “deterrent” that agents might be using alternate, less effective methods instead rather than FISA. As Olsen says, “It’s something we need to be alert to.” … “The agents want to follow the rules. … It becomes murky to them.”
Olsen says the “pace” of cyber threats today is “testing all of us,” including @CISAgov, @DeptofDefense, and @TheJusticeDept.
Olsen says the Russian kleptocrat task force is working to identify more planes, yachts, and bank accounts. “it’s a bit of a cat and mouse game. These are sophisticated individuals.”
Olsen says it’s too soon to tell what impact the seizures are having in Russian, but “it stands to reason” the pressure can only help.
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