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No Upper Bound On Phone Record Collection, Says NSA

Posted by timothy on from the don't-write-a-blank-check-to-the-government dept.

PCWorld reports that "[A] U.S. surveillance court has given the National Security Agency no limit on the number of U.S. telephone records it collects in the name of fighting terrorism, the NSA director said Thursday. The NSA intends to collect all U.S. telephone records and put them in a searchable 'lock box' in the interest of national security, General Keith Alexander, the NSA's director, told U.S. senators." But don't worry; it's just metadata, until it isn't. (Your row in the NSA database may already be getting cozy in its nice new home in Utah.)

8 of 238 comments (clear)

  1. This is gonna be awesome! by http · · Score: 4, Informative

    I've never seen a civil war up close before.

    --
    If opportunity came disguised as temptation, one knock would be enough.
    3^2 * 67^1 * 977^1
  2. Stalin-type Purges by silentbozo · · Score: 5, Informative

    How long before the next incoming majority party decides to use the NSA data to clean house? Just to make sure that their government is free of ties to terrorism, foreign governments, and corruption, of course... and to ensure that everyone is loyal and pure of ideology.

    1. Re:Stalin-type Purges by memnock · · Score: 5, Informative

      "... Just to make sure that their government is free of ties to terrorism... "

      Do you mean terrorism like the kind that involves killing unknowing bystanders? The U.S. doesn't do that. Oh wait...

      --
      "To stop the terrorists."
  3. Bill to rein in NSA by SirGarlon · · Score: 5, Informative

    For those who don't know, Senators Wyden (D-OR), Udall (D-CO), Paul (R-KY) and Blumenthal (D-CT) say they will introduce a bill today to rein in the NSA.

    --
    [Sir Garlon] is the marvellest knight that is now living, for he destroyeth many good knights, for he goeth invisible.
    1. Re:Bill to rein in NSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      This isn't an issue with either Republicans or Democrats specifically, so enough of that nonsense.

    2. Re:Bill to rein in NSA by Desler · · Score: 5, Informative

      Hahaha what? You seem to be willfully ignoring that the Republicans controlled the House during passage 229 to 205. You also seem to be ignoring that the Patriot Act was authored and introduced by a Republican Representative. You also seem to be ignoring the fact that of the 66 nays in the House that 62 were Democrats. And that Republicans voted Yea at a 3:2 margin in the House. You also seem to ignore that not a single Republican voted Nay in the Senate. The Nay was that of Democrat Russ Feingold who also warned about the Section 215 powers. The only abstention in the Senate was also a Democrat.

      So to act like the passage of the Patriot Act would have been any different with a Republican controlled Senate is ludicrous when nary a single Republican senator voted against it.

    3. Re:Bill to rein in NSA by Lunix+Nutcase · · Score: 4, Informative

      it was the Democrats with a supermajority in Congress that VOTED IT IN IN THE FIRST PLACE.

      Maybe in some alternate reality. In the real world the 107th Congress was at the time of the passage of the Patriot Act

      House: 219 R / 211 D / 2 I with Republican Denny Hastert as Speaker
      Senate: 50 R / 50 D with Republican Strom Thurman as President Pro tempore and Dick Cheney as tie breaker

      How exactly would that be a Democrat super majority?

  4. Re:Tinfoil hats for all by coastwalker · · Score: 5, Informative

    Not only that but all that cold war stuff was a complete waste of time - we are the Soviet Union.

    --
    Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.