Slashdot Mirror
Surveillance Court: NSA Can Resume Bulk Surveillance
An anonymous reader writes: We all celebrated back in May when a federal court ruled the NSA's phone surveillance illegal, and again at the beginning of June, when the Patriot Act expired, ending authorization for that surveillance. Unfortunately, the NY Times now reports on a ruling from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which concluded that the NSA may temporarily resume bulk collection of metadata about U.S. citizens's phone calls. From the article: "In a 26-page opinion (PDF) made public on Tuesday, Judge Michael W. Mosman of the surveillance court rejected the challenge by FreedomWorks, which was represented by a former Virginia attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli, a Republican. And Judge Mosman said that the Second Circuit was wrong, too. 'Second Circuit rulings are not binding' on the surveillance court, he wrote, 'and this court respectfully disagrees with that court's analysis, especially in view of the intervening enactment of the U.S.A. Freedom Act.' When the Second Circuit issued its ruling that the program was illegal, it did not issue any injunction ordering the program halted, saying that it would be prudent to see what Congress did as Section 215 neared its June 1 expiration."
"Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, â" That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,"
"National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
Hello, Mr. NSA? Hello?
What's next... FISA will dissolve Congress? This court thinks they are above Congress?!?!?
Wow.
Like they ever stopped?
Who are these judges appointed to the FISA court? Is a prerequisite a hatred for America, or is this something they develop once on the bench?
Law in 21st century America: appeal until you find a court with a judge willing to (re)interpret law in your favor. Happening almost every day lately.
Better known as 318230.
I called it back in May! The government doesn't want to get rid of their shiny new toy, they spent too much money on it, and it gives them too much power to just let it die.
They're basically stating their new unofficial motto is "You can have my surveillance powers when you pry it from my cold dead hand!".
But, it's something to talk about. little late maybe, but it helps me forget about my bunions, which really aren't that bad, I just need to wear big shoes, so I have to be careful on small stairs, but they have non-skid soles, so that's a plus...
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
General Alexandeer invented this law, he was the one that decided to do it and force the law to fit the acts. This is military rule by any other name.
And what about the other records? The license plate surveillance data, the US medical records, all government records including tax, banking records, chat records via PRISM, Internet records via surveillance of the broadband. All of these arrive in the big Alexander database either by dodgy deals or by partnering with non US countries to evade US law.
I suspect FISA is more worried about the rest of the iceberg being revealed than this little tip.
"They told us we can't do it, but they didn't tell us to stop doing it. So we're gonna keep doing it."
Did anyone actually expect the government to stop?
Surely it wouldn't be beyond the collective wit of the internet to set up a parallel surveillance system targeting judges, politicians and others involved in dismantling these freedoms. After a couple of months of having their every private movement made public I suspect they'd change their outlook.
Fuck you.
Sincerely,
Everyone in the world who isn't American
Buck Feta. You know what to do.
Can't trust U.S. products because they may be secretly compromised.
NSA = No Sales for Americans
âoeI, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.â 5 U.S.C. Â3331
Seems we need every government employee to re-read their oath of office and actually DO SOMETHING!
The court didn't rule the data collection illegal per se, i.e. that the NSA had to stop because it was violating the constitution. The second circuit doesn't have that power.
What they ruled is that the bulk data collection was not authorized by the cited law, but that congress could enact laws to give it that authority. The FISC simply declared that bulk data collection has never been illegal, particularly in light of Congress enacting the USA Freedom Act making its intentions explicit. In all cases the intent of congress and the NSA has been clear. It's not that the NSA has been overreaching and acting illegally, it's that Congress doesn't value citizens' privacy.
Do not blame the NSA for overreach. Put the blame on the federal legislative branch where it belongs.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, is unconstitutional and completely illegal. They have no authority whatsoever, and they have the GULL to think they have authority over real courts.
Nobody has any obligation to comply with any FISC order, and every citizen is well within their rights to arrest any so called judge of a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court.
All U.S. citizens are well within right to use force to shut down such activities by the NSA, which may include destruction of equipment and/or data, and arrest any NSA or other that are aiding in these acts.
If the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights is the supreme law of the land, and that law has been broken, then those responsible should be arrested and jailed.
If this were 200 years ago, people would be grabbing their rifles from under their beds.
https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendaEM
No longer must we live under the disingenuous denials of a domestic surveillance program's existence. It's now been properly approved by a court.
That's good, right? In all seriousness, though, does it sort of count as progress?
Comment removed based on user account deletion
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness
Comment removed based on user account deletion
These secret courts shouldn't exist in the first place. They are un-constitional and in violation of the law.
It's time to get rid of them, just like this bulk surveillance garbage.
They stick around and dig in deeper over time, because nobody complains about them.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
I really wish people would call it what it is: mass surveillance.
Calling it bulk anything is nothing more than misdirection.
how come murderers never do anything useful? so many evil old white guys running everything in this shithole of a country that need to be put down.