Posted on 01/23/2014 3:23:29 PM PST by JerseyanExile
The National Security Agency's program collecting records on virtually all U.S. phone calls violates the law, according to a government privacy board.
In a 238-page report released Thursday, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board calls for an end to the program, saying it has never stopped a terrorist attack and threatens the privacy of millions of Americans.
The report is yet another blow to the controversial program, which was first revealed by Edward Snowden last year.
Last Friday, President Obama announced his support for certain reforms to the program, including requiring court approval for the NSA to search through the phone data and moving the database out of the government's hands. But Obama insisted that the NSA keep its capability to mine millions of phone records, even if the structure of the program is changed.
Congress created the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board at the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, which called for an independent government agency to guard privacy rights. The small agency only recently became operational, and Thursday's report is its first major salvo against government surveillance.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationaljournal.com ...
Yeah, b/c BO really cares what a “privacy board” thinks...
Duh!!
Lots of people need to go to jail for this.
Screw jail. It’s time to build gallows. Not just for the NSA, but the IRS, EPA, scumbag judges, politicians, you name it.
Time to clean house.
They aren’t just collecting records; they’re collecting content. They just need the records to be able to search the content efficiently.
“Yes, and?” — Barack Zero Osamabama
Starting with James Clapper.
Even in the Orwell Novel 1984, the government couldn’t spy on everyone all the time.
The NSA has that capability and they are doing it.
Big Bro is watching, listening and turning on your computer or phone camera any time they want for no other reason than that you are the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Anyone who thinks collecting communication records on every single American is just fine is not thinking clearly or is on the side of big government.
All we really need to do is look at the redefinition of “listening” to see what we’re up against. They are not “listening” if they collect every word you write or say. They are not “listening” if any search is “only” part of a huge database search. It’s only “listening” if they specifically search YOUR file by name.
So, if they run a search on “gun” and “own” of the entire database, they have a list of hits. They will have my name. They can refer to it if ever they deem it important.
But they haven’t “listened”.
We’ve reached the point where private communications are back to World War 2 methods, like messages hidden in shoes and playing cards.
I don't know if most people get that. Anytime you are in the same room as any cell phone at all, or a computer or tablet that can get an Internet connection... someone from a government agency or a hacker can be listening to your conversations and also turn on the camera. If you are an enemy of the Obama administration the likelihood of this happen is most likely greatly increased. If you are a member of an Islamic sleeper cell however you don't need to worry because the Feds don't believe in racial or religious profiling of non-Christians.
Most of what the federal government does is illegal.
So?
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