NSA reportedly recommend abandoning surveillance program for all telephone calls and text messages

American Thinker ^ | 04/25/2019 | Thomas Lifson

[SeekAndFind]

In an exclusive report based on anonymous sources, Dustin Voltz and Warren P. Strobel of the Wall Street Journal (non-paywall version here) write:

The National Security Agency has recommended that the White House abandon a surveillance program that collects information about U.S. phone calls and text messages, saying the logistical and legal burdens of keeping it outweigh its intelligence benefits, according to people familiar with the matter.

The recommendation against seeking the renewal of the once-secret spying program amounts to an about-face by the agency, which had long argued in public and to congressional overseers that the program was vital to the task of finding and disrupting terrorism plots against the U.S.

The latest view is rooted in a growing belief among senior intelligence officials that the spying program provides limited value to national security and has become a logistical headache.

Frustrations about legal-compliance issues forced the NSA to halt use of the program earlier this year, the people said. Its legal authority will expire in December unless Congress reauthorizes it.

It is up to the White House, not the NSA, to decide whether to push for legislation to renew the phone-records program. The White House hasn’t yet reached a policy decision about the surveillance program, according to the people familiar with the matter.

The White House National Security Council and the NSA declined to comment.

Oddly, no mention at all is made of the unfolding scandal of the use of NSA data to spy on the Trump campaign.

Early in 2016 NSA Director Admiral Mike Rogers was alerted of a significant uptick in FISA-702(17) “About” queries using the FBI/NSA database that holds all metadata records on every form

[frank ballenger]

BUT and it’s a big but.....
They could still be put on Double Secret Probation.

[rightwingcrazy]

They can get all they need by monitoring internet searches and social media.

[Migraine]

The law of diminishing returns on TMI?

[max americana]

they’ll still keep doing it..

[Responsibility2nd]

The National Security Agency has recommended that the White House abandon a surveillance program that collects information about U.S. phone calls and text messages, saying the logistical and legal burdens of keeping it outweigh its intelligence benefits, according to people familiar with the matter.

Suurre. That's what they WANT us to think. In reality - they continue to spy on us.

 

[mewzilla]

Oh, boy.

Whatever we already know the NSA has done...the totality has got to be way, way worse...

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I still remember when Jimmy Carter wanted to use automated systems to listen in on private phone calls. If certain words were mentioned, automatic recording would start.

[Pearls Before Swine]

What would they do with the excess computing power? Try to find the next largest Mersenne prime? I doubt it.

Programs don’t shrink unless they are explicitly and drastically cut.

[gaijin]

In grand style 3 months ago the NSA claimed they’d ALREADY stopped all this.

So let’s review:

1. We never do domestic SigInt intercepts
2. We STOPPED going it
3. We are THINKING about discontinuing it

So they’ll say and have said ANYTHING.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Someone has to analyze and archive every text emoji sent by every teenage girl in America. Sure sounds like a waste of tax money to me.

[Red Badger]

The only reason they wold do this is if they have something better....................

[DBrow]

“Oddly, no mention at all is made of the unfolding scandal of the use of NSA data to spy on the Trump campaign.”

They are planning to scrap the program and destroy all the records? Why would that even link to Obama’s secret spying?

[Yo-Yo]

NSA reportedly recommend abandoning surveillance program for all telephone calls and text messages

Then the NSA built the Utah Data Center known as "the Black Vault" for nothing...

[Bob434]

they don’t have to anymore- the TV industry made everyone convert to digital, and have cable boxes in rooms, and most people have new ‘smart TV’s with voice remotes which listen in constantly, and companies like amazon with their alexa listen in constantly- so now the cable companies and online merchant companies are the new NSA

[DBrow]

“What would they do with the excess computing power?”

Bitcoin mining.

[Bob434]

[[They are planning to scrap the program and destroy all the records?]]

You believe they are going to destroy all the records?

[Mariner]

If the data is collected by government it will be used to further the political interests of those in power.

Always and forever.

[I want the USA back]

Sure, because most phone calls are scammers trying to sell insurance, or telling you the IRS is after them.

[blackdog]

Bureaucrats would never give up that kind of power in a million years. Not to mention the 800 billion they spend on facilities to collect that data. Besides, they claimed they don’t do that.. ..