Michael Hayden Explains How The NSA Handles Your Metadata

Delicieuxz · February 25, 2016

Former Director Of The NSA Michael Hayden Explains How The NSA Handles Your Metadata

In this video interview, discussing what the NSA does with bulk phone data that it gathers, Michael Hayden specifies that the NSA's collection is only of metadata, and not contents of phone calls, and he gives an explanation of the extent to which that metadata is worked with. Though it should be noted that Hayden was director of the NSA until 2005, director of national intelligence until 2006, and director of the CIA until 2009, and so the program and conduct he worked within during his time may have changed in the following years. But he makes the point that constitutional laws wouldn't allow for practices beyond what he's explained.

Although he doesn't talk about other forms of data, and whether it is collected or not, I think that recent events concerning the encryption of an iPhone make it clear that collecting encrypted non metadata would be futile for a government to do, and that bypassing professional encryption is only feasible for governments when there are back doors or security holes available for them to use. But perhaps that's only until quantum computing becomes available.

Syntaxvgm · February 25, 2016

Michael Hayden?

Where do I remember him from....

oh yea, he lied to congress about waterboarding!

Prysin · February 25, 2016

3 hours ago, Syntaxvgm said:

Michael Hayden?

Where do I remember him from....

oh yea, he lied to congress about waterboarding!

Credibility -5

Deception +15

Beskamir · February 26, 2016

Too bad the NSA doesn't appear to care about the constitution all that much. So why would they restrict their actions based on what it allows? Also there's basically no reason to trust Michael Hayden as @Syntaxvgm already pointed out.

Bensemus · February 26, 2016

He's most likely just talking about the data that won't generate pitchfork wielding mobs. He can and has lied so this is kinda useless information. If it came from someone outside of the agency who was trusted then it might be worth listening to.