NSA Builds the Biggest Spy Center

[Dragonetti]

No, that is the law, that they are not suppose to operate collection on citizens. Keep in mine on citizens... very key word.

[Minimalist]

But will it pass?

http://news.yahoo.com/senators-outline-b...itics.html

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers who oversee U.S. intelligence agencies say they'll work to limit the National Security Agency's use of U.S. phone and email records, while also broadening the government's spying powers to allow monitoring of terror suspects who travel to the U.S. after being tracked overseas by the NSA.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Finance Committee, outlined proposed changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act during a hearing Thursday. The law has come under fire by some in Congress after disclosures by Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former systems analyst on contract to the NSA, stirred concerns among Americans that their civil liberties are being violated.

Feinstein said legislation her committee is drafting would "strictly limit access to the... phone metadata records, expressly prohibit the collection of the content of phone calls," and limit the amount of time such U.S. phone call data could be kept. Such records show the date and length of calls, and the numbers dialed.

[Jackalope]

No, that is the law, that they are not suppose to operate collection on citizens. Keep in mine on citizens... very key word.

I'm fully aware of that - and yet it is still apparently occurring without sufficientooversight.

[Rayaan]

How the NSA's Surveillance Procedures Threaten Americans' Privacy

Newly released documents confirm what critics have long suspected—that the National Security Agency, a component of the Defense Department, is engaged in unconstitutional surveillance of Americans' communications, including their telephone calls and emails. The documents show that the NSA is conducting sweeping surveillance of Americans' international communications, that it is acquiring many purely domestic communications as well, and that the rules that supposedly protect Americans' privacy are weak and riddled with exceptions.

https://www.aclu.org/nsa-surveillance-procedures

[Dragonetti]

I am not sure if it will pass, because there many powerful lobbying contracting companies against this. This goes against company's bottom line, which is profits.

[Minimalist]

Yes. What are privacy rights compared to corporate profits? When America's epitaph is written it will be something along those lines.

[Dragonetti]

Just calling like I see it. That is the main reason for these programs stay operational. You are correct in they are illegal, but the shutdown of the programs impacts budgets, which the government nor the companies want to see. I am not sure why, but I am not liking the way the government awards contracts, because I do see lots of waste.

[Jackalope]

Just calling like I see it. That is the main reason for these programs stay operational. You are correct in they are illegal, but the shutdown of the programs impacts budgets, which the government nor the companies want to see. I am not sure why, but I am not liking the way the government awards contracts, because I do see lots of waste.

The way I see it, the programs are illegal, but too few care. We as a society are too distracted by bread and circuses. It's unfortunate the we collectively forget history and are doomed to repeat it.

[Rayaan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SegAoSpHJck

[MindForgedManacle]

Don't worry, we're the government. We're just spying on, well, everyone. Well, we're not really spying per se on everyone *cough Intentionally cough*, we're just collecting every packet of information zipping around the internet and phone lines that we can get.

Because it's in your best interests.

...What do you mean we didn't ask you? It wouldn't be a secret if we did!

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More seriously, I get a sinking feeling about all these NSA shenanigans. Maybe they're preparing for a Pre-Crime sort of thing? There doesn't seem to be much else that can be done by having that much data in storage.