NSA

Now Spying on Americans

I bet google must be drooling at the possibility to get the contract to mine the NSAs groovy new massive database of Amercian's phonecalls. (some Q 'n As to answer your questions about the program)

So now we are getting a better idea what the NSA was/is up to. An interesting question that is surfacing is whether or not Gonzales lied to Congress about it (good thing for him they didn't make him take the oath...)

NADLER: Number two, can you assure us that there is no warrantless surveillance of calls between two Americans within the United States?

GONZALES: That is not what the president has authorized.

NADLER: Can you assure us that it's not being done?

GONZALES: As I indicated in response to an earlier question, no technology is perfect.

NADLER: OK.

GONZALES: We do have minimization procedures in place...

NADLER: But you're not doing that deliberately?

GONZALES: That is correct.

I'm no laywer, but... hmm. He was certainly misleading. The current administration take is - we are just collecting, not eavesdropping, trolling, or data mining.

Today:

"The government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval," said Bush, without confirming the program of the National Security Agency. "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans."

Makes you wonder why they want to collect all that data. They are not "mining or trolling through the personal lives..." Ah ha! they can mine phone conversations but not people's personal lives - I bet their technology can't quite handle that yet. Google, get on it!

Turns out that your favorite telecomm carriers are complicit:

AT&T Corp., Verizon Communications Inc., and BellSouth Corp. telephone companies began turning over records of tens of millions of their customers' phone calls to the NSA program shortly after Sept. 11, 2001, said USA Today, citing anonymous sources it said had direct knowledge of the arrangement.

But, not Qwest communications, so you may want to switch your carrier.

[update] turns out Qwest might have made a smart move, turns out the telecomms might be liable to the tune of billions of dollars!

[update 2] Seventy two members of Congress filed papers late Wednesday seeking to end President George W. Bush's warrantless NSA eavesdropping program. 71 Democrats and 1 independent.

The 71 Democrats and one independent filed an amicus brief in two federal courts reviewing challenges to the warrantless wiretapping program in Detroit and New York, joining the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights. Both suits demand the program be stopped.

Of course, the program is illegal, so they really shouldn't have to ask... but oh well. Maybe this time, if they ask extra nicely.