Annual Statistical Transparency Reports 2013–2024
Intelligence Community
Transparency Data
Explore declassified statistics from ODNI's annual reports on FISA surveillance, National Security Letters, and other national security authorities. Interactive visualizations reveal decade-long trends in government surveillance activities.
Section 702 Targets (2024)
0
+17.4% from 2023
NSLs Issued (2024)
0
-12.3% from 2023
FISA Orders (2024)
0
-8.2% from 2023
Years of Data
12
2013–2024
Primary Metrics
Surveillance Overview
FISA Section 702 Targets Over Time
Non-U.S. persons targeted for foreign intelligence collection
Section 702 Targets
FISA Authorities
Surveillance Breakdown
Traditional FISA Orders
Court orders for electronic surveillance & physical search
U.S. Person Queries (NSA & CIA)
FBI excluded due to scale difference (see Agency Comparison below)
NSA
CIA
All Agencies: U.S. Person Queries (Log Scale)
FBI data only available 2021+. Note: logarithmic scale due to FBI's dramatically higher numbers.
FBI
NSA
CIA
Administrative Subpoenas
National Security Letters
NSLs Issued Annually
Total National Security Letters issued per year
NSL Requests by Type
Information requests within NSLs
Detailed Statistics Table
Year-by-year breakdown of key surveillance metrics
| Year | Section 702 Targets | YoY Change | FISA Orders | NSLs Issued | NSL Requests |
|---|
Interactive Deep Dive
Authority Explorer
Click a category to explore details
FISA Section 702
268,072
Non-U.S. person targets (2024)
Traditional FISA
403
Court orders issued (2024)
National Security Letters
9,952
NSLs issued (2024)
U.S. Person Queries
62,857
Combined agency queries (2024)
Pen Register / Trap & Trace
48
Orders approved (2024)
FISA Section 702
Section 702 authorizes the targeting of non-U.S. persons located outside the United States to acquire foreign intelligence information. Collection occurs with the compelled assistance of electronic communication service providers.
268,072
2024 Targets
10-Year Growth
+196%
↑ From 89,138 in 2013
YoY Change
+17.4%
↑ 39,691 more targets
Peak Year
2024
All-time high
Legal Authority
50 U.S.C. § 1881a — Added by FISA Amendments Act of 2008. Most recently reauthorized by the FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2024 through April 2026. View Section 702 Resources →
Source Documents
Raw Data
2024
Annual Statistical Transparency Report for Calendar Year 2024
2023
Annual Statistical Transparency Report for Calendar Year 2023
2022
Annual Statistical Transparency Report for Calendar Year 2022
2021
Annual Statistical Transparency Report for Calendar Year 2021
2020
Annual Statistical Transparency Report for Calendar Year 2020
2019
Annual Statistical Transparency Report for Calendar Year 2019
2018
Annual Statistical Transparency Report for Calendar Year 2018
2017
Annual Statistical Transparency Report for Calendar Year 2017
2016
Statistical Transparency Report for Calendar Year 2016
2015
Statistical Transparency Report for Calendar Year 2015
2014
Statistical Transparency Report for Calendar Year 2014
2013
Statistical Transparency Report for Calendar Year 2013
Additional Resources
IC on the Record Database
Official repository of all transparency reports and declassified documents
FISA Section 702 Resource Library
Comprehensive collection of Section 702 documents and fact sheets
PCLOB Oversight Reports
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board independent assessments
Civil Liberties Protections
How the IC protects Americans' privacy and civil liberties
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
Official FISC website with published opinions and orders
EFF Section 702 Analysis
Electronic Frontier Foundation's critical analysis of surveillance programs
The Big Picture
A-Ha Moments
The Swap
Warrant vs. Warrantless
As Section 702 (warrantless) surveillance tripled, traditional FISA (court-approved) dropped 77%. The lines crossed in 2019.
The Collapse
FBI Queries Before & After FISC Criticism
After the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court flagged compliance issues, FBI queries dropped dramatically.
→
-98% Drop
The Iceberg
Cumulative Scale Since 2013
Each year's targets add up. The total number of people targeted under Section 702 since transparency reporting began.
2,127,201
Total Section 702 targets since 2013
That's larger than the population of Philadelphia (1.6M), Phoenix (1.6M), or San Antonio (1.5M). It's equivalent to targeting every resident of Houston.
Scale in Context
Annual Targets = City Populations
Each year, Section 702 targets a population equivalent to these U.S. cities.
Rochester, NY
~211,000
≈ 2020 Targets
Richmond, VA
~227,000
≈ 2021 Targets
Baton Rouge, LA
~228,000
≈ 2023 Targets
Fremont, CA
~268,000
≈ 2024 Targets
The Multiplier
One Target, Many Contacts
Section 702 targets non-U.S. persons, but their communications with Americans are "incidentally" collected.
1 Target
268K
×
~10
=
2.68M+
Conservative estimate: If each target communicates with just 10 people, that's potentially 2.68 million communications collected in 2024 alone. Research suggests the actual multiplier may be significantly higher, meaning millions of Americans' communications are swept up "incidentally."
What They Get
One NSL = Your Digital Life
A single National Security Letter can request multiple types of records. Click each category to see what's revealed.
Subscriber Info
42% of requests
Toll Records
28% of requests
Financial Records
18% of requests
Credit Reports
12% of requests
Subscriber Information Reveals:
- Full legal name and any aliases
- Current and previous addresses
- Phone numbers and email addresses
- Account creation date and length of service
- Payment method and billing information
- IP addresses used to access accounts
Legislative History
Key Milestones
2008
FISA Amendments Act
Section 702 established, allowing warrantless surveillance of non-U.S. persons abroad.
2013
Snowden Disclosures
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs. First ODNI transparency report published.
2015
USA FREEDOM Act
Ends bulk phone metadata collection. Mandates additional transparency reporting.
2018
Section 702 Reauthorization
Six-year extension with enhanced reporting requirements and compliance measures.
2024
FISA Reform Act
Section 702 extended for two years. New warrant requirements debated but not enacted.
Analysis
Key Insights
Sustained Growth in 702 Targets
Section 702 targeting has grown consistently, reflecting expanded counterterrorism and cybersecurity missions.
Growth since 2013
+196%
Query Compliance Challenges
FBI U.S. person queries remain a compliance focus area, with multiple FISC-documented incidents.
FBI query incidents (2023)
204K+
Declining Traditional FISA
Traditional FISA orders have decreased as Section 702 collection expanded capabilities.
Reduction since peak
-67%
Cyber Threats Drive Collection
2024 increases attributed to cybersecurity threats against U.S. critical infrastructure.
Cyber-related targeting
+34%
Enhanced Oversight Framework
Multi-layer oversight includes FISC, DOJ NSD, ODNI, and Congressional committees.
Oversight bodies
7+
NSL Usage Stabilizing
National Security Letters have plateaued after post-2015 reforms imposed new limits.
Avg. annual NSLs
~11K