Washington--Many US lawmakers and an array of interest groups want to rein in the government's surveillance programs, aware of public backlash that began with bombshell leaks two years ago.
With a deadline looming less than a month away, however, consensus on how to curb data collection has proven elusive.
The coming weeks are critical because of a June 1 expiration of a key section of the US Patriot Act which has been used as a legal basis for much of the vast surveillance carried out by the National Security Agency.
Two years after the sweeping data leaked in documents from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden stunned Americans and US allies, momentum appears to be growing for reforms.
But privacy advocates are divided on the steps to be taken.
Many activists are pinning their hopes on the USA Freedom Act, set to go before the House of Representatives in the coming week after a bipartisan 25-2 approval in committee.
The bill would end bulk collection of Americans' phone and Internet data under section 215 of the Patriot Act, and would open some of the secretive practices of data collection.
AFP
