FBI's warrantless searches of Americans' data plummeted following reforms, report finds

FBI searches of U.S. citizens' electronic data — under a warrantless surveillance program — plunged significantly last year, according to an annual report released Friday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

Searched dropped from more than 3.4 million in 2021, to just over 204,000 in 2022, according to the report, a decline of nearly 94%. The decline follows a series of major reforms instituted by the FBI, which had been accused by lawmakers and civil liberties advocates of overreach and abuses of its existing authority.  

The reduction was the result of changes to FBI "systems, processes, and training relating to U.S. person queries," the report, compiled by ODNI, found.