Senate Passes Bill Renewing NSA's Internet Surveillance Program (reuters.com)

From a report: The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a bill to renew the National Security Agency's warrantless internet surveillance program for six years and with minimal changes, overcoming objections from civil liberties advocates that it did too little to safeguard the privacy of Americans. From a report on CNET: The programs, known as Prism and Upstream, allow the NSA to collect online communications of foreigners outside the US. Prism collects these communications from internet services, and Upstream taps into the internet's infrastructure to capture information in transit. Some communications from Americans and others in the US are collected in the process. The vote Thursday renews the programs for six years. The House approved a bill renewing the programs last week. Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden first revealed the programs by leaking information about them to journalists in 2013. After the news coverage, the administration of President Barack Obama declassified much information about the programs.

Comments

Democracy theater

[Anonymous Coward]

Is there anybody left at this point who actually believes that the US intelligence apparatus is governed by laws? They made it quite clear over the past couple decades that they can construct a legal fiction as needed to do whatever the fuck they want. Anything done in Congress is only a show for the public.

The only recourse for "little people" is encryption, cryptocurrency, or anything else that has a chance of minimizing state power.

Re:Democracy theater

[ScienceofSpock]

The problem with this is that it renews a bill that legalizes many of those previously illegal gathering methods, and since this was done under the guise of "national security", those methods are not transparent. If they're not transparent, we have no recourse but to accept the government's word that they are necessary and work.

I mean, more people were killed by toddlers in the US in 2015 than by terrorists, yet there are no new laws coming out to "protect" Americans from toddlers. But god damn, we need to snoop all your shit because "Oh no! teh terrorists!"

I know people here have seen this enough, but it still rings true in my opinion: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Ben Franklin

Re:Democracy theater

[DavidHumus]

James Clapper, head of the NSA, lied to congress while under oath and suffered no consequences whatsoever: http://www.slate.com/articles/... . That's what I call lack of enforcement.

NOW the buck stops with the president...

[bobbied]

Now you all can say the buck stops with the president.... I'm guessing he's going to sign it so get ready to blast away....

All you who voted democratic though, remember that many in your party voted for this in the Senate... You might want to hold your Senator responsible if yours voted for this...In fact, PLEASE do that... ;)

Re:NOW the buck stops with the president...

[Opportunist]

You still think you have two distinct parties in the US?

Cute.

Show up to your primaries

[rsilvergun]

if you want these overwhelmingly unpopular things to stop happening you need to show up at your primaries. For a lot of us the choices are a moderate Republican, a "Blue Dog" Democrat or an Independent with zero chance of winning. They way to change that is to vote in your primary.

Re:Show up to your primaries

[PoopJuggler]

I would say that if you really want things to change, rid yourself of the belief that 3rd parties have "zero chance of winning". Vote for the best candidate, regardless of party affiliation. If you keep voting along R/D party lines, you're just part of the problem because neither of those parties is really interested in making the country better.

Re:Show up to your primaries

[Anonymous Coward]

They should remove R/D from ballots.

Giving reason to Encrypt

[Anonymous Coward]

And then they wonder why the rest of us want to encrypt our comunications.. Idiots.