Federal Judge Admits Existence Of NSA's PRISM Program (vocativ.com)

An anonymous reader writes: A U.S. judge has just admitted the existence of the NSA's infamous PRISM program by name, apparently the first time any federal judge has done so. PRISM has been an open secret since June 2013, when documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden were first made public. An ominous NSA PowerPoint training slide claimed that PRISM allowed "collection [of user data] directly from the servers" of major American tech companies like Yahoo, Google, and Apple, though those tech companies immediately and fiercely protested that no, to their knowledge, they didn't give the NSA such access. It's since been generally accepted that the NSA wasn't physically accessing those companies' servers with PRISM, but instead creating a streamlined legal process to compel those companies, via orders processed in the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, to turn over users' data. Since the program's disclosure, most government reports and redacted FISA court orders have referred to PRISM by the legal authority the NSA claims authorizes it, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. But that's confusing, because 702 also authorizes what's called Upstream collection, which gives the NSA access to raw internet data -- not the same thing as PRISM, which is more specifically targeted.

Comments

... and they say we wear tinfoil hats

[Taco Cowboy]

Years ago when we told others about the existence of Prism and many other oppressive projects, people say we wore tinfoil

Thanks to Snowden and many other brave souls, now the world knows how despicable the American government (at least part of it) has become

PRISM is far from being the only thing Uncle Sam has under its sleeves, there are other programs with equal dastardly scope / aim, or worse ... exposing those will take more time

The world deserves to know how the American government - once the epitome of world Liberty - has become

Re:... and they say we wear tinfoil hats

[Applehu Akbar]

"Thanks to Snowden and many other brave souls, now the world knows how despicable the American government (at least part of it) has become"

Unfortunately, this behavior will continue until we stop giving it money and power.

Re:... and they say we wear tinfoil hats

[wierd_w]

Hello AC.

I see you have drunk the Koolaid.

Points in contention:

1) Holding the government accountable for its actions is not the same as "hating" the country. Please stop pretending that it is.

2) "Terrorist" is such a loosely used word (when used by the US government) that just about anyone that exposes, or otherwise makes the US look bad for its blatantly anti-civil behaviors is branded such, because apparently being accountable for their actions is "Terrifying" to government officials. Yes, this means that if you mention the NSA spooks installing listening equipment next door to a public restroom, you will be branded a terrorist, and ooops, I guess now you are a bad bad man, and deserve to go to GITMO! See how loose definitions work there? Not good. Just because the government labels somebody a "Terrorist" does not mean that they enact political change through the use of mass terror. (You know, what a REAL terrorist actually does.)

Underlying both of those points of contention is the false notion that disobeying government's wishes is fundamentally wrong/immoral. I hate to Godwin, but by that logic, the people who refused to tell the germans where all the jews were hiding were horrible people.

Basically, I am with Taco above-- I do not "hate America", I hate what America is becoming, through the blind obsequiousness of people like you.

Please, for the love of all that is wholesome and good, stop drinking the government koolaid.

Re:... and they say we wear tinfoil hats

[pepsikid]

NOPE NOPE NOPE
No, you may not do that.

The NSA, FBI and other over-reaching spying agencies are NOT the USA.
The USA is the 340 Million "free" people who comprise the citizens of the country.

By fiercely protecting the privacy of those people, we show our love for the USA.
Those apologists for the manipulative and disgraceful spy agencies, and those who echo their false narratives are the ones who hate the USA.

Re:... and they say we wear tinfoil hats

[DivineKnight]

"Come, let us do evil that good may result."

Re:... and they say we wear tinfoil hats

[KGIII]

I point out the problems with my country not because I hate it but because I love it.

Remember ...

[BarbaraHudson]

Remember, the government can now do stuff and order you not to talk about it. It's very easy to envision them going to a tech and saying "open that wiring closet" knowing that if anyone hears about it, he's going to Leavenworth.

We supply terrorists weapons !!

[Taco Cowboy]

I know ... it's a 'whoosh' moment, but the 'terrorist' thing that you've brought up deserves more exposure ...
 
A lot of weapons the terrorists are using came from the United States of America, and a lot of those weapons were supplied by the government of the United States of America

You may think that I hate America. It's the contrary !

I am an American and I love my adopted country

Because of my love for the United States I do not like what is happening to my government

The government of America not only runs shitty programs such as PRISM, but is actively supplying weapons / training / logistical supports to many terrorist groups (which the Obama administration term : friendly forces)

Those so-called 'friendly forces' are carrying out things that are as bad as the ones IS has been doing - they behead people, crucifying people, kidnapping young girls from minority tribes (usually the Christians) and use them as sex slaves, and so on, and so forth ...
 
... and yet, the government of the United States of America, under Obama, chooses to ignore what is happening and continually to give support to those terrorists, supplying them weapons, and so on !
 
Just in case you don't know, the biggest terrorist group there is right now is running Turkey. Recep Tayyip ErdoÄYan is an Islamofascist, and his wife just publiclly called for the re-establishment of "Ottoman Harem', where teams of young girls are kept as sex slaves
 
What is the United States government doing?

Of course, continue its support for Recep Tayyip ErdoÄYan, the Islamofascist government !