Correct, the authorization was only needed for the govt to spy on you directly. Private business has no such restrictions, the govt can now buy any info from Palantir, Google, Lexis, ad infinitum

But still, it's very weird. You'd think this admin want to be able to round up people and disappear them with FISA court rulings, being able to spy on them first is usually the logical path.

They can purchase data from 3rd parties, but it is a felony to wiretap someone without the government asking you to. You need the user's cooperation to install an app with a nasty ToS or something of that nature. Lots of people are using VPNs too. This section is, from what I understand, what allowed them to add a "gag order" to the surveillance demand to companies as well? If they want google or apple to spy on someone without a warrant, this is the only way to force them without them making that information known to the public.

is it just double-dipping the spending (this might be your point)

or it is actually doing an end-run around laws against governments doing the surveillance themselves, instead they get private companies to do it and then it's perfectly legal to buy the data

just like government buys cellphone tracking data and mortgage data from private brokers when there are laws blocking them doing it directly

An opportunistic politician would be wise to draft a bill around surveillance transparency and go to all of the people voting against Section 702 here for support (solid arm twist that backs them into a PR corner).

Who enforces the Constitution? SCOTUS is capable of reinterpreting any Constitutional right you have and create carve outs for “national security” boogeymen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kavanaugh_stop

This administration has an expiration date.