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Intelligence legislation in the House proposes significant changes to Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) practices

Centralizing control over the acquisition of commercial data by the intelligence community and their approach to Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) is proposed in the House's Intelligence Authorization Act.

, and Administrator

2025 September 17 . 6:27 PM

2 min read

Legislative proposal in the House comprises significant changes to Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)... — Legislative proposal in the House comprises significant changes to Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) practices

Intelligence legislation in the House proposes significant changes to Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) practices

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence recently approved the fiscal 2026 intelligence authorization act, which includes provisions aimed at enhancing the intelligence community's (IC) utilization of Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT).

One of the key aspects of the bill is the acceleration of the use of artificial intelligence, large language models, and machine learning in the IC. This move is expected to streamline the process of gathering, analysing, and disseminating OSINT.

The bill also addresses concerns around OSINT standards by requiring the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to update intelligence community directives. This update is intended to standardize and emphasize strong OSINT tradecraft, a major concern for open-source advocates.

To ensure effective oversight, the legislation requires the DNI to establish an official, known as the OSINT Director, to oversee OSINT activities across the intelligence community. Additionally, the DNI is tasked with designating an official to oversee the acquisition of commercially available information.

The bill sets new restrictions around how intelligence components can shift funding away from OSINT activities. This is aimed at ensuring a consistent focus on OSINT within the IC.

In August, Chairwoman Ann Wagner wrote in an op-ed that the IC faces a "glaring issue" with the purchase and management of commercial data. She emphasized the need for standards to enable intelligence agencies to invest in technologies to ensure information is accurate and relevant to the mission.

The bill will need to be reconciled with the Senate version of the bill. However, it's clear that the House bill's OSINT provisions are aimed at supporting the IC's greater emphasis on utilizing OSINT.

The bill further strengthens training around the collection of both public and commercial data. It also sets distinct definitions for Publicly Available Information (PAI) and Commercially Available Information (CAI).

Earlier this year, the House intelligence committee established a new OSINT subcommittee led by Chairwoman Ann Wagner (R-Mo.). This subcommittee has been instrumental in driving the push for improved OSINT practices within the IC.

In a bid to prevent duplicative purchases, improve data sharing, and minimize costs, the bill aims to address the explosion of public information and commercial data from private brokers, a top issue for intelligence officials and Congress in recent years.

Earlier this year, ODNI officials announced plans to establish an IC Data Consortium to address duplicative data purchases and a lack of coordination on commercial data across intelligence agencies. The House bill's provisions align with these efforts, demonstrating a commitment to addressing these challenges.

The bill's OSINT provisions are part of a broader strategy to support the IC's greater emphasis on utilizing OSINT. This strategy, led by the IC's OSINT executive Jason Barrett, was announced earlier this year. The bill's passage marks a significant step forward in the IC's efforts to leverage OSINT effectively.