New Delhi, Aug. 14 -- For nine years, Senator Ron Wyden has been asking a simple question: how often does the federal government use spyware to surveil Americans? On Thursday, the institution closest to that question gave the closest answer it has yet been willing to provide. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts announced it will add a new category to its annual Wiretap Report tracking government use of hacking tools and spyware against real-time communications, with public disclosure starting in 2029.

the court orders authorizing the government to tap phone calls and read text messages in real time. Spyware, the category of tools that compromise a device directly and silently, has never appeared there. Starting with 2028 data, i...