Ironic? NSA Won’t Reveal Number of Americans Spied Upon Citing…Privacy Protection
- Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:10pm by
Liz Klimas
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(Photo: NSA.gov)
Senators Ron Wyden and Mark Udall recently asked the National Security Administration how many American communications have been spied upon under the privileges of the 2008 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. They’ve received a response and for those with privacy concerns in mind, the answer may surprise you.
(Related: NSA chief denies spying on communications of American citizens)
According to Wired, the NSA won’t reveal just how many American communications they’ve reviewed because it believes this would be a violation of privacy. The more specific question from Wyden and Udall was “how many people inside the United States have had their communications collected or reviewed under the authorities granted by section 702?” Here’s the response from the letter sent to Wyden and Udall from Inspector General of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence I. Charles McCullough:
The NSA IG provided a classified response on 6 June 2012. I defer to his conclusion that obtaining such an estimate was beyond the capacity of his office and dedicating sufficient additional resources would likely impede the NSA mission. He further stated that his office and NSA leadership agreed that an IG review of the sort suggested would itself violate the privacy of U.S. persons.
Wired has a follow-up from the Senators who are a little put off by this response:
“All that Senator Udall and I are asking for is a ballpark estimate of how many Americans have been monitored under this law, and it is disappointing that the Inspectors General cannot provide it,” Wyden told Danger Room on Monday. “If no one will even estimate how many Americans have had their communications collected under this law then it is all the more important that Congress act to close the ‘back door searches’ loophole, to keep the government from searching for Americans’ phone calls and emails without a warrant.”
Just last week Wyden blocked the FISA Amendments Act Reauthorization Act of 2012 from immediate approval by a Senate subcommittee, wanting it to go to a full floor vote, Wired reported. Tuesday afternoon, the House Judiciary Committee is set to address the re-authorization of the 2008 law, which will expire this year if no action is taken.
Update: On Tuesday afternoon the House committee approved reauthorization of FIFS Amendments Act, voting 23-11.
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Comments (38)
christos
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 8:00pm.Good then they can decipher this – GO TO HELL – .DOGS.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 8:00pmI used to be in favor of the patriot act. I now see that the NSA cannot be trusted without oversight. However, I don’t want Holder providing the oversight. This is where a group of citizens should be used like jury duty. No names or identifying data, just the probable cause and a random identifier number. Oh, and the guy who cannot find the number, go clean out your desk, we are moving you to the border.
Report Post »mikefromaltoona
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 7:56pmDoes the caged bird know he’s a prisoner?
Report Post »RedDawn2012
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 7:42pmHow many of us? ALL of us! NOW! The whole planet! Every second of every day – every fax, every email, every phone call, every text message, every twit, everything … is monitored! Language doesn’t matter – the software knows them all. Watch what you say or write – the computers ARE listening. And already they may be watching every click of your mouse, every website you visit, and every character you type. Why are they doing this? An efficient fascist and dictatorial government requires FULL control, and this is a big part of it. The cameras and drones coming to us soon are another part. Watch Britain to see what’s coming soon to all of us here. The nightmare of “1984” is upon us. Our only defense, sadly, is war. Prepare!
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 7:30pmPiss on ‘em… There is always misinformation.
Report Post »ENIGMA28724
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 6:39pmYou can tell when government officials are lying. It’s really simple. You can see their lips moving. Probably didn’t want to answer the question because the truth is they are spying on everyone. Why else would they need the “secret” multibillion dollar computer complex near Salt Lake City in Utah.
Report Post »tharpdevenport
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 6:39pmPretty easy to make the list. Everybody who’s been to a Tea Party, anybody who’s expressed being a Conservative, anybody whos spoken out against the Dictator-in-cheif, anybody who types Dictator-in-cheif, all Coservative talk radio (with Beck #1 on that list). And any Republican Congress man.
Exempted from spying: Socialists, Communists, Marxists, illegal aliens, murdered, drug addicts, Democrats, the New Party, Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic radicals. And Steven Speilberg.
Report Post »Individualism
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 6:34pmthey spy on us and we spy on them, the peoples version of NSA is Anonymous or groups like them.
Report Post »KevINtampa
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 7:48pmSigh, I’ll say it again:
Anonymous is the perfect cover for any intelligence agency. Anonymous isn’t just “us”, Anonymous is them as well because Anonymous is anybody. If I were a CIA planning agent I would form a group (really it’s just a concept, there is no specific people using the Anonymous cover) EXACTLY like what Anonymous is. To think there was no government involvement with Anonymous from the very start of the Anonymous “movement” is blind at best, utterly uninformed and deliberately ignorant at worst. I was around when it started, and I said at the time this it is stupid, that it will be hijacked by those you are trying to “burn” if it isn’t their idea to begin with.
And now with the Anonymous attacks being used as a flag to crack down on the “Wild West” cyber world, well, I‘ll just say I’m not shocked.
Report Post »MrKnowItAll
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 5:56pmHeard a Plane flying above our home. The Odd Things about this were that I never in my life heard a Plane with a sound I have never heard before. I heard it coming and as soon as it went right over our home. My Computer flashed and started the video I was watching here on the Blaze from the beginning. Ever since this happened three days ago. I cannot get it off my mind. It was 100% connected.
Report Post »Zalbert
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 5:55pmwelcome to the corporate states of amerika
Report Post »frogg
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 5:54pmEven one is ONE to many!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »mdman
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 5:30pmThey are collecting all the data on every person using electronic mediae
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:18pmThose in the White House are likely planning to wipe out Presidential terms if they get back in, if they can. They better impeach him now while they can.
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:16pmIf you know the satelite is in your area shoot your middle finger at it. That is about all we can do for now until they get the Marxist out of the White House and back in the jungles where he belongs.
Report Post »Dishevel
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:10pmNo Senator will ever let this law fade away.
Report Post »They will trumpet the problems with it to make themselves look good then allow it to continue.
Government does not know how to give back power only to take more of it.
blackyb
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:17pmThey do not want to give it back or they would not have taken it in the first place.
Report Post »euragone
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:04pmWe know who their watching .. We can see who by watching TSA.. Their watching everyone except those who should be watched… People from the Middle East and N. Africa..
Report Post »Gourdy
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:59pmI’m afraid we the American people have allowed this to happen to us out of fear. It blows my mind when I hear people say, “All this surveillance is fine. I have nothing to hide.”
Report Post »PROSECUTE_PUBLIC_SERVANTS__FOR_CONSTITUTIONAL_TREASON
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:54pmGood people have failed to stand for righteousness. Now we live with wicked evil leaders.
Report Post »PROSECUTE_PUBLIC_SERVANTS__FOR_CONSTITUTIONAL_TREASON
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:51pmEvery American is spyed upon. FEMA camps for 56 million US citizens are being built by Halliburton.
Christians are to blame for not being salt and light. R. Paul was the last morally decent presidential candidate and you dispised him. Now you may face Putins thermal nuclear missles. Putin was not happy at the G20 today. Just think…you vote for those, Romney or Obummer, who cause your death by war. I guess you have it coming. A shame your family and small children have to die because of you elect vile wicked leaders. O well… it’s no different than in the OT of the Bible. God’s judgement is coming quickly…
Report Post »Gourdy
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:08pmWhere are these camps being built?
Report Post »tharpdevenport
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 6:43pmCauca-stan, of course. On the planet Ronulous.
Report Post »bharris0
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:42pmThe reason these bstrds won’t give an answer is that they are spying on ALL of us.
Report Post »PROSECUTE_PUBLIC_SERVANTS__FOR_CONSTITUTIONAL_TREASON
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:53pmWell said. America has brought this upon themselves and it’s just the start of total imprisonment.
Every American is spyed upon. FEMA camps for 56 million US citizens are being built by Halliburton.
Christians are to blame for not being salt and light. R. Paul was the last morally decent presidential candidate and you dispised him. Now you may face Putins thermal nuclear missles. Putin was not happy at the G20 today. Just think…you vote for those, Romney or Obummer, who cause your death by war. I guess you have it coming. A shame your family and small children have to die because of you elect vile wicked leaders. O well… it’s no different than in the OT of the Bible. God’s judgement is coming quickly…
Report Post »The_Jerk
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:32pmWe are allowing ourselves to live in a prison without walls.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:26pmGives new meaning to the word irony,so our friends at no such agency aren’t giving up the number of U.S citizens they illegally spied on eh? I‘m shocked they wouldn’t cooperate with the Senators.
FISA NADA and the patriot act are all laws yet violate the constitution by their very existence,we allowed government to amass this power and they’re more than willing to use it against us,it‘s for our ’protection’ and the government would never have a nefarious reason to use the collected data. Yeah right.
Report Post »cykonas
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 7:10pmVery good post. The assertion that “we allowed the government” is spot on. Glad to see at least one other on here is willing to step up and take responsibility. Too many others simply whine and blame others.
We have a lot more house cleaning to do in November than simply changing the President. We need legislators that understand and love the Constitution and voters that are smart enough to recognize them and vote for them.
It’s in our hands to change the the course of our Republic. Keep voting for the status quo, R or D, and you’ll continue to get more of the same.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:19pmWonder what key words trip the voice recorder? “Obama” “Marxist” “zombie apocalypse” “cry baby” ?
Report Post »TADTAD
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:01pmLots of words activate the recorder, too, lots of words activate live access to the phone call. It’s so far gone, you wouldn’t be believe it.
Semper Fi to me.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:15pmNo irony, just truth of the tyranny coming under Obama.
Report Post »JRook
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:21pm2008 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. You have been listening to Rush to much sir. Bush signed this bill. Which is obvious to even the casual observer given the date. Oh and of course Bush also enacted the Patriot Act. So at least know who you are upset with.
Report Post »rpp
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:35pmSnowleopard, while I normally find your posts here informative and interesting and informed, I am afraid that you are a bit mistaken to put all this blame on Obama. While the current President has probably abused this law in ways that we cannot even imagine, as well as way we can, such as spying on his political enemies and those who disagree with the Marxist in Chief, he is not to blame for this law. Rather it was the Demoncratic Congress during the last year of the Bush administration that created this law. It was the Repungniton President Bush who signed it. Obama did campaign saying he would repeal it “first thing”. However, like EVERY ONE of his “first thing” promises, he did the opposite and immediatly began using this law in ways which are unknown.
Report Post »SREGN
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:12pmNever trust the government. Rule #1.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:38pmThe nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’
Report Post »Ronald Reagan