"[NSA officials] were trying to make sure they were doing it exactly right," he said, meaning making sure that the data was being pulled in according to existing privacy policies.
The metadata also came in various forms from the different companies, so the NSA had to reformat much of it before loading it into a searchable database.
Both hurdles meant that the NSA couldn't keep up, and of all the metadata the agency wanted to be available for specific searches internally, only about a third of it actually was.
But then the USA Freedom Act was signed into law, and now Inglis said, all that is "somebody else's problem."
The Snowden disclosures made it clear that metadata is a red herring—and that the NSA can drill down to the real data at will.
While technically they are supposed to go through a judge they have been abusing the process for many years.
Media coverage of this topic has been pathetic.
Mass surveillance of Americans will continue unabated no matter who is our next president.
The NSA has been creating maps of American citizens' social networks
Why do they want to do that?
What could social networks be used for in the hands of government? Consider:
Using Metadata to Find Paul Revere
How will such capabilities be used now?
How They Hunt
Is it already too late?...
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated..." US Constitution, Amendment IV.
Unless of course they get smashed with a hammer.
As I interpret this - The NSA collects everything, but then does not look at specifics UNLESS some fat cat politician declares you are "An Enemy of the State", in which case they have everything. Two questions:
If The 'Beast researched her enemies before by keeping a box of FBI files that "miraculously" appeared in her bedroom, what will she do now? and
Does this mean The Fourth Amendment is now Null and Void?
Have you waved at the suit behind your computer screen today?
Dr. Johnny Fever was right....
Johnny: [after hearing the sirens] It’s the phone cops. They know what I did here today.
Venus: What are you talking about?
Johnny: They’re coming to get me, man!
Venus: That’s paranoia, man!
Johnny: Wake up, sucker, this is the phone company we’re talking about! They see everything, they know everything, they got their own covert police force! I’m probably wired for sound right now! I gotta get out of here!
Venus: Johnny!
Johnny: Don’t use my name!!
What junk.
Just believe that every cell phone call, text, and email is captured by the NSA. Also every conversation you have near a mobile phone even if it is “off.”
Their problem is not capturing the date, it’s screening the data for analysis because there is just too much for any human to screen.
What a bomb shell! This just makes my head explode. I’m going to pray to the Egyptian goddess ISIS for guidance and the willpower not to eat allah my snackbars before lunch.
Everything the Federal government does in the name of national security is to increase its coercive control over all law-abiding citizens.
Everything. It. Does.