Russia looms large over Senate surveillance hearing

The Senate Intelligence Committee holds a hearing Wednesday morning to discuss the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a key provision of the law that is used to justify the digital surveillance of foreign nationals located abroad.

Why it matters: The provision expires at the end of the year unless lawmakers vote to reauthorize it. Privacy advocates — and some tech companies — take issue with the way that surveillance under the statute can capture the data of American citizens. Some Republican senators, meanwhile, have introduced legislation to re-up the provision and make it permanent.