National Security Agency discloses in secret Capitol Hill briefing that thousands
of analysts can listen to domestic phone calls. That authorization appears to
extend to e-mail and text messages too.
Quote:
The National Security Agency has acknowledged in a new classified
briefing that it does not need court authorization to listen to domestic
phone calls.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, disclosed this week that during a
secret briefing to members of Congress, he was told that the contents of a phone
call could be accessed "simply based on an analyst deciding that."
If the NSA wants "to listen to the phone," an analyst's decision is sufficient,
without any other legal authorization required, Nadler said he learned. "I was
rather startled," said Nadler, an attorney and congressman who serves on the
House Judiciary committee.
...
A requirement of the 2008 law is that the NSA "may not intentionally target any
person known at the time of acquisition to be located in the United States."
A possible interpretation of that language, some legal experts said, is that the
agency may vacuum up everything it can domestically -- on the theory that
indiscriminate data acquisition was not intended to "target" a specific American
citizen.
===========
In other words:
The 2008 law says NSA may not TARGET an American.
But lawyers think NSA may be assuming that if you intercept EVERYBODY then you're
not targeting.
#NotAJoke
Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57589495-38/nsa-admits-listening-to-u.s-phone-calls-without-warrants/
PS
Remember this?
Obama: "Nobody is listening to your telephone calls."
of analysts can listen to domestic phone calls. That authorization appears to
extend to e-mail and text messages too.
Quote:
The National Security Agency has acknowledged in a new classified
briefing that it does not need court authorization to listen to domestic
phone calls.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat, disclosed this week that during a
secret briefing to members of Congress, he was told that the contents of a phone
call could be accessed "simply based on an analyst deciding that."
If the NSA wants "to listen to the phone," an analyst's decision is sufficient,
without any other legal authorization required, Nadler said he learned. "I was
rather startled," said Nadler, an attorney and congressman who serves on the
House Judiciary committee.
...
A requirement of the 2008 law is that the NSA "may not intentionally target any
person known at the time of acquisition to be located in the United States."
A possible interpretation of that language, some legal experts said, is that the
agency may vacuum up everything it can domestically -- on the theory that
indiscriminate data acquisition was not intended to "target" a specific American
citizen.
===========
In other words:
The 2008 law says NSA may not TARGET an American.
But lawyers think NSA may be assuming that if you intercept EVERYBODY then you're
not targeting.
#NotAJoke
Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57589495-38/nsa-admits-listening-to-u.s-phone-calls-without-warrants/
PS
Remember this?
Obama: "Nobody is listening to your telephone calls."