14, October 2013
NSA Overreach
The National Security Agency has recently received
approval from the ultra-secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to
extend its dragnet of U.S. phone records. The director of National Intelligence
previously denied that such collections were taking place.
In a
rare appearance, Edward Snowden, accompanied by four former U.S. whistleblowers
accepted an award from the Sam Adams Associates for Integrity in Intelligence.
He used the occasion to issue dire warnings about the perils of the mass
surveillance state. He refuted claims that such unfettered access to U.S.
emails and phone records is required for intelligence purposes; on the contrary
he warned the huge volume of redundant data would severely overload the data
storage devices and make us less safe. Furthermore, he warned that such
sensitive private data could be grossly abused to silence government critics
and stifle free speech. Example – Thomas Drake, of the NSA who blew the whistle
on enormous waste and mismanagement at the agency was charged with violating
the Espionage Act in 2010 and subsequently exonerated. Over 60 percent of Americans feel that NSA surveillance has gone too far and drastic reform is necessary.
Internet companies who are being pressured by FISA court orders to turn over phone records of their customers, without probable cause, will suffer their angst and may suffer heavy financial losses. It makes little sense to add redundant data to an enormous digit haystack when hunting for a real terrorist threat. The Congressional oversite committee has clearly failed in its mission.
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