Senators Warn VPN Use Could Strip Americans of Rights Under NSA Surveillance

U.S. lawmakers are pressing the nation’s top intelligence official over a growing concern that a common privacy tool could actually weaken Americans’ rights.

According to Wired, six Democratic lawmakers asked Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to clarify whether Americans using VPNs connected to foreign servers risk being treated as foreigners under U.S. surveillance law.

That distinction matters because programs like Section 702 allow warrantless surveillance of non-U.S. persons, meaning Americans could be swept in with fewer protections if their data appears overseas.

The conflict is sharp: federal agencies including the NSA and FBI have long encouraged VPN use for privacy, yet lawmakers now warn that same behavior could expose users to surveillance.

The concern stems from intelligence rules that treat unknown-origin internet traffic as foreign by default.

Lawmakers say millions of Americans may be affected and are demanding clear guidance on whether VPN use changes their constitutional protections.

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