- Sep 30, 2003
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Apparently Snowden released an agency document noting a rule change in 2011 that may allow domestic spying:
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/loophole-lets-nsa-search-u-s-emails-phone-calls-without-6C10885858
The Guardian article with a copy of the agency notification:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/09/nsa-loophole-warrantless-searches-email-calls#
Despite what news report are saying about this, I'm not sure I fully understand what the rule change actually says. Still, I think it interesting news.
Fern
The National Security Agency can search Americans' email and phone calls without a warrant because of a rule change approved in 2011, according to a top-secret document given by NSA leaker Edward Snowden to the Guardian.
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/loophole-lets-nsa-search-u-s-emails-phone-calls-without-6C10885858
The Guardian article with a copy of the agency notification:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/09/nsa-loophole-warrantless-searches-email-calls#
"While the FAA 702 minimization procedures approved on 3 October 2011 now allow for use of certain United States person names and identifiers as query terms when reviewing collected FAA 702 data," the glossary states, "analysts may NOT/NOT [not repeat not] implement any USP [US persons] queries until an effective oversight process has been developed by NSA and agreed to by DOJ/ODNI [Office of the Director of National Intelligence]."
The term "identifiers" is NSA jargon for information relating to an individual, such as telephone number, email address, IP address and username as well as their name.
The National Security Agency has a secret backdoor into its vast databases under a legal authority enabling it to search for US citizens' email and phone calls without a warrant, according to a top-secret document passed to the Guardian by Edward Snowden.
The previously undisclosed rule change allows NSA operatives to hunt for individual Americans' communications using their name or other identifying information. Senator Ron Wyden told the Guardian that the law provides the NSA with a loophole potentially allowing "warrantless searches for the phone calls or emails of law-abiding Americans".
Wyden, along with his intelligence committee colleague Mark Udall, have attempted repeatedly to warn publicly about the ability of the intelligence community to look at the communications of US citizens, but are limited by their obligation not to reveal highly classified information.
Despite what news report are saying about this, I'm not sure I fully understand what the rule change actually says. Still, I think it interesting news.
Fern
