NSA Confirms It Has Been Searching US Citizens' Data Without a Warrant

Charliemopps writes: "According to Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, 'There have been queries, using U.S. person identifiers, of communications lawfully acquired to obtain foreign intelligence targeting non-U.S. persons reasonably believed to be located outside the United States. These queries were performed pursuant to minimization procedures approved by the Fisa court and consistent with the statute and the fourth amendment.' Basically, if you communicated with someone that is 'reasonably believed' to be a terrorist, you've lost constitutional protection against searches without a warrant, according to the NSA."

Comments

Not surprising

[Sarten-X]

Today, I got out of bed without a warrant.

I brushed my teeth without a warrant, showered without a warrant, and got dressed without a warrant. I picked up my laptop bag without a warrant, having packed it last night without a warrant. Then I drove to work without a warrant. I proceeded to do my daily allotment of engineering, without a warrant for any of it. I read Slashdot without a warrant, and I'm posting this comment without a warrant, as well.

Of course, I don't need a warrant for any of this, and that's what the NSA thinks, too. In the opinion of the NSA, the information they gather isn't private, and they don't need a warrant to get it or use it.

Re:Legal searches

[cold fjord]

In short, your position resolves to a claim that you have a Constitutional right to protected secret communications directly with terrorists of the bomb, shoot, and poison to kill masses of people variety. No doubt you will also be surprised to learn that the Founding Fathers would not have agreed with that.