Obama NSA defends taking hundreds of millions Verizon phone records.

[Soul Crusher]

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-administration-defends-phone-records-113329195.html

In its first semi-official comment from the White House about The Guardian's Verizon/NSA phone-snooping scoop, the administration didn't admit to collecting the telephone records of millions of Americans. But they didn't say they wouldn't do that either. An anonymous "senior administration official" would not confirm that the newspaper story was true or that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court order was legitimate  but they did tell media outlets on Thursday that the requests are "a critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats."

RELATED: The NSA Is Collecting Phone Records in Bulk

The order in question, which was issued in April, compelled Verizon to give the National Secuirty Agency information on all phone calls that were routed through its network over a period of three months. The classified order was published in The Guardian on Wednesday, and though it doesn't mention any other telephone companies, it's possible that similar orders were issued to them as well.

RELATED: Raytheon's 'Google for Spies' Tracks You from Social-Media Sharing — and Fast

The same administration official also reiterated to the AP that while the information collected includes phone numbers, location data, and call times, it doesn't include the contents of any phone conversation. 


After overnight silence, Obama admin finally responds to Guardian report. Won't confirm specifics but defends the practice.
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) June 6, 2013

NBC News's Chuck Todd also reported that administration official (presumably the same person) told him that "all branches of government are aware" when orders like this are issued, implying that members of Congress, as well as the President, were likely briefed on the matter when it happened. We'll have to see if President Obama comes forward to discuss this soon, but it looks the government's defense is going to take the usual path when it comes to Patriot Act-style suveillance: This is normal behavior, it's for our own safety, and there's nothing to see here.

[Soul Crusher]

Obama administration defends Verizon phone record collection

 




 
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An employee holds out an iPhone for a customer at a Verizon store in Boston, Massachusetts February 10, 2011. REUTERS/Brian Snyder







 
 

By Mark Hosenball and Susan Heavey

WASHINGTON | Thu Jun 6, 2013 8:55am EDT

(Reuters) - The Obama administration on Thursday acknowledged that it is collecting a massive amount of telephone records from at least one carrier, reopening the debate over privacy even as it defended the practice as necessary to protect Americans against attack.

The admission comes after the Guardian newspaper published a secret court order related to the records of millions of Verizon Communications customers on its website on Wednesday.

A senior administration official said the court order pertains only to data such as a telephone number or the length of a call, and not the subscribers' identities or the content of the telephone calls.

Such information is "a critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats to the United States," the official said, speaking on the condition of not being named.

"It allows counter terrorism personnel to discover whether known or suspected terrorists have been in contact with other persons who may be engaged in terrorist activities, particularly people located inside the United States," the official added.

The revelation raises fresh concerns about President Barack Obama's handling of privacy and free speech issues. His administration is already under fire for searching Associated Press journalists' calling records and the emails of a Fox television reporter as part of its inquiries into leaked government information.

It was not immediately clear whether the practice extends to other carriers.

The order released on Wednesday is from the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and directs Verizon's Business Network Services Inc and Verizon Business Services units to hand over daily electronic data until July 19. The order can be seen at: r.reuters.com/kap68t

(This headline of this story has been corrected to say administration, not White House)

(Reporting by Mark Hosenball and Susan Heavey; Editing by Vicki Allen)

[headhuntersix]

Hugo was right again.........

[Soul Crusher]

Liberals will defend their master as usual.

[headhuntersix]

Hugo has been railing at the Patriot act for years...saying exactly what we're seeing out of Obama, would happen.

[Shockwave]

People need to start waking up to the reality that big brother does not have their beat interests at heart, and that they could, and WOULD, turn on their citizens in a heartbeat if they thought tjeu could get away with it. (And by they, I mean most politicians and high ranking government officials, and by turn on, I mean turn this country into a totalitarian state because they believe they know whats best for us, and they have next to no respect for their citizens)

[Soul Crusher]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/06/05/nsas-verizon-spying-order-specifically-targeted-americans-not-foreigners


sick!!!

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

Liberals will defend their master as usual.

Really.....hate to tell you this but everyone already knew this...its been done for almost 15 years...increasingly more because of the Patriot Act gave broader access.


if you don't like it, then tie a string to two fucking tin cans

[Soul Crusher]

Really.....hate to tell you this but everyone already knew this...its been done for almost 15 years...increasingly more because of the Patriot Act gave broader access.


if you don't like it, then tie a string to two fucking tin cans

Obama ran against this remember? 

[Soul Crusher]

 

[ Invalid YouTube link ]

[Roger Bacon]

Hugo has been railing at the Patriot act for years...saying exactly what we're seeing out of Obama, would happen.

Yeah, but lots of smart guys like Beach Bum say we didn't lose any freedom under the Patriot Act?

[Fury]

Really.....hate to tell you this but everyone already knew this...its been done for almost 15 years...increasingly more because of the Patriot Act gave broader access.


if you don't like it, then tie a string to two fucking tin cans

You're privy to secret court orders now?

No one knew this, hence why it's news. 

[OzmO]

Yeah, but lots of smart guys like Beach Bum say we didn't lose any freedom under the Patriot Act?

My question is, how long did telephones exist before laws were enacted to retrieve telephone records?

Secondly, is the trade off worth it here?  Does this help fight terrorism or does is it unneeded?

[Roger Bacon]

My question is, how long did telephones exist before laws were enacted to retrieve telephone records?

Secondly, is the trade off worth it here?  Does this help fight terrorism or does is it unneeded?

There's no trade off.

Give me Liberty or Give me Death


Osama Bin Laden accomplished his goal

[Dos Equis]

My question is, how long did telephones exist before laws were enacted to retrieve telephone records?

Secondly, is the trade off worth it here?  Does this help fight terrorism or does is it unneeded?

I heard someone say a terrorist attack was prevented as a result of this, but I don't know any details.  Still, there has to be a less intrusive way to do this. 

[GigantorX]

There's no trade off.

Give me Liberty or Give me Death


Osama Bin Laden accomplished his goal

When stuff like this comes to light and  the police state and drive towards the police state becomes more overt....what exactly are we "fighting" for? If the govt. becomes a police state (which I already think it is or close to it) what's the point?

Burning the the founding ideals of this country in a giant bonfire so the govt. can "fight terrorism" seems a bit laughable now.

In the end, our freedoms, liberties and such come with a price tag.

[Soul Crusher]

I would rather deal w terrorists than have this leviathan police state

[OzmO]

There's no trade off.

Give me Liberty or Give me Death


Osama Bin Laden accomplished his goal

Ok, that's ideologically fine, but are you ok with that when another 9/11 happens because we don't have the power with in our laws to protect ourselves?

[OzmO]

I heard someone say a terrorist attack was prevented as a result of this, but I don't know any details.  Still, there has to be a less intrusive way to do this. 

I assume there would be, but are they just looking at call records or recording calls?

[Soul Crusher]

I assume there would be, but are they just looking at call records or recording calls?

We really thwarted the boston attack! 

[OzmO]

We really thwarted the boston attack! 

Poor argument in the context of the discussion.

[Soul Crusher]

Poor argument in the context of the discussion.

No its not - we have all this police state crap in existence and it still does not work even when the terrorists are known to us. 

[Dos Equis]

I assume there would be, but are they just looking at call records or recording calls?

Feinstein said it's just metadata, so they're not actually getting the text of conversations, just a record of calls being made.  I still think that's too broad.  

[OzmO]

No its not - we have all this police state crap in existence and it still does not work even when the terrorists are known to us. 

Yes it is, because you are not applying any sound logic and or details to it.

[OzmO]

Feinstein said it's just metadata, so they're not actually getting the text of conversations, just a record of calls being made.  I still think that's too broad.  

So they are just seeing who texted and who call who?  How is that broad?  Just wondering why you think that.