The NSA collected 151 million phone records despite regulations

[EunSoo]

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/3/15527882/nsa-collecting-phone-records-us-citizen-metadata

 

In 2016, the National Security Agency collected more than 151 million records about Americans’ phone calls, despite Congress passing a law the previous year (the USA Freedom Act) intended to limit bulk surveillance. This number was revealed in an annual transparency report released yesterday (tuesday May 2) by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. 

 

Quote

The report is the first assessment the public has seen of the impact of the USA Freedom Act, and shows the difficulty the NSA has reining in surveillance while continuing to collect useful intelligence. This Freedom Act was passed in 2015 after the Snowden revelations, and limits the NSA to collecting call metadata about individuals suspected of having ties to terrorism. The report shows that in 2016 the NSA received warrants to collect such information on only 46 terrorism suspects.

Quote

According to Reuters, officials from the NSA defended the report by saying that the figure of 151 million records was tiny compared to the scope of US surveillance pre-Snowden. (At that time the agency could scoop up “billions of records per day,” said one 2014 study.) The figure of “151 million” is also misleading, said the NSA, as it counts multiple calls made to or from the same phone number. This, said the agency, explains the discrepancy between the small number of warrants and the huge number of records. However, the NSA did not provide a breakdown of the exact number of individuals caught up in the surveillance program, and many privacy advocates will be angered by the huge number of records still being collected.

 

[captain_to_fire]

By phone records I hope it's just call logs like the one people have in their phones and not the actual wiretapping a phone call. 

[HarryNyquist]

Number of people who should be shocked by this: 0

[paddy-stone]

So as usual governments and agencies thereof continue to do whatever the hell they want, regardless of the fact that they are supposed to be employees of the public.

[Oshino Shinobu]

Not even remotely surprised by this sort of stuff anymore. There's obviously more that they're not reporting, or have just moved to some other department that doesn't need to be reported. I like how their justification is that at least it's not as bad as it was before we found out they were spying on everyone....

[Oshino Shinobu]

5 minutes ago, huilun02 said:

But its ok. I look outside everything seems just fine.

[PlayStation 2]

I really hope none of you are surprised.

[Ithanul]

15 minutes ago, HarryNyquist said:

Number of people who should be shocked by this: 0

Pretty much.  The NSA (under different names in the past) looked at communications.  The government always been interested in monitoring communications.

The nickname "No Such Agency" exist for a reason.

[samcool55]

Is there even a way of confirming this is right?

I mean if it's actually a lie nobody will know anyway so what's the value of this?

[AntonChigurh]

5 minutes ago, samcool55 said:

Is there even a way of confirming this is right?

I mean if it's actually a lie nobody will know anyway so what's the value of this?

We really don't need to tbh. It's the NSA. If the day ends in a Y, they're gonna be spying on people.

There isn't much value whether it's right or not. It's just another thing infringing on our rights that we're gonna let pass right by, completely unfazed.

[TidaLWaveZ]

2 hours ago, samcool55 said:

Is there even a way of confirming this is right?

I mean if it's actually a lie nobody will know anyway so what's the value of this?

If the allegations were false the NSA would refute the claims. They could lie about it again like with Obama, but they have no reason to as Obama's "restrictions" did nothing more but dance around the problem.

 

Obama said he would end the bulk collection of domestic phone records "as it currently exists," by restricting analysts' searches of the database and by moving the database into the hands of telecom companies or a third party TBD – the details are not yet nailed down.

[PSUGuru]

Not remotely surprising. We ALL know the NSA spies on us. At this point, I've stopped caring.

 

 

[LAwLz]

It's pretty amazing that we get news like this every single week, and yet we still have people on this forum and other ones telling people to "take off your tinfoil hat" when worried about privacy and surveillance.

"The NSA doesn't care about you, so stop worrying!" is something I have heard way too many times. By the way, "too many times" is anything above 0.

[mr moose]

Bullshit, you're telling me that a US government agency that thrives on spying and secrecy still operates outside the law?  /s

[WereCat]

6 hours ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

How did you took the picture from inside when the camera is outside?

[zMeul]

you should upgrade your internet plan so it would be easier for the NSA to get those recording faster

[Tech_Dreamer]

7 hours ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

 

What Kind of Bird is this?

[BuckGup]

8 hours ago, hey_yo_ said:

By phone records I hope it's just call logs like the one people have in their phones and not the actual wiretapping a phone call. 

Wiretapping of local landlines has no regulation and doesn't require a warrant due to the PATRIOT act. Cellular is different

[Drak3]

8 minutes ago, Tech_Dreamer said:

 

What Kind of Bird is this?

That's not a bird, but I understand your confusion. This particular breed of flying squirrel, Spyinonous Masterbateous, is rather avian like.

[JAKEBAB]

All that for 46 SUSPECTS. Lol.

[Tech_Dreamer]

[captain_to_fire]

1 hour ago, SamStrecker said:

Wiretapping of local landlines has no regulation and doesn't require a warrant due to the PATRIOT act. Cellular is different

I'm not looking forward for that legislation repealed anytime soon especially with the current administration. ?