Section 702 can keep operating after lapse, but the government still has not published the plain public memo that says how, even as NPR reports that collection is authorized annually by the FISA Court and can continue for the duration of the court's authorization after the statute lapses [1].

That is the same distinction the paper made June 17: the lapse did not prove collection stopped or continued cleanly; it exposed the missing operating memo.

The Brennan Center's 2026 resource page explains why the program remains contested, because Section 702 targets foreigners abroad but sweeps in Americans' calls, texts, and emails, and the government has abused access limits before [2].

NPR adds the continuity law, saying providers may still be legally required to turn over material, companies could try challenges, and the FISA court has 30 days to resolve that kind of dispute, while the FISC public-filings page still shows no June 2026 post-lapse operating filing on its front page and lists a March 27 filing posted in April as the newest item [1][3].

X wants victory or panic, but the public needs instructions on what continues, under which certifications, with which provider obligations, query limits, challenge paths, and public oversight, and until DOJ, ODNI, FISC, NSA, FBI, or Congress publishes that answer, Section 702 is running on explanations from reporters and advocates rather than on a public operating memo.

-- SAMUEL CRANE, Washington