Overview

• President Trump has demanded the resignation of three Democratic members of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB), effectively disabling the agency's operations.
• The PCLOB, established after 9/11, oversees government surveillance programs and ensures they respect privacy and civil liberties, requiring a quorum of three members to function.
• The removal undermines the board's ability to certify compliance with the U.S.-EU Data Protection Framework, potentially jeopardizing transatlantic data transfers critical to U.S. tech firms.
• Critics, including privacy advocates and lawmakers, warn that the move weakens independent oversight of surveillance programs and raises questions about potential abuses of power.
• The White House has not clarified plans to fill the vacancies, leaving the future of the board and its role in surveillance accountability uncertain.