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Spysats Keeping Watch on the U.S.

Posted by michael on from the can't-read-license-plates-yet dept.

Anonymous And Slightly Nervous Coward writes "USA Today is carrying an AP story that claims three years' worth of domestic satellite surveillance courtesy of a DoD agecy called the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Their work includes getting cooperation from entities pointing cameras onto private property such as hotels (all you HOPE and Defcon attendees, please wave for the camera). The agency seems to be taking the aw-shucks line on what they know and to what extent they evaluate the data they get, but it's clear that their mandate is seriously overpowering the oversight structures that would normally be watching it."

3 of 304 comments (clear)

  1. NIMAR? by andy1307 · · Score: 4, Informative

    The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency used to be called the National imagery and mapping agency reston. The just changed the name of the agency some time in the last 6 months. I work very close to this agency in Northern Virginia. Before 9/11, you couldn't distinguish this building from any other office block. Post 9/11, there are armed guards and security checkpoints.

  2. Might be a nice time to mention... by daveschroeder · · Score: 5, Informative
    ...some of the ways we benefit from the work of the NGA:

    National Map (National Map Viewer)

    (and the somewhat related National Atlas)

  3. Re:nothing new by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Sorry to Nitpick... The National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) is the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). They just got the new name late last year. For those who really care, this agency used to be known as the Defence Mapping Agency prior to 1996.