US and UK struck secret deal in 2007 to allow NSA to 'unmask' Britons' personal data

[malaise]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/20/us-uk-secret-deal-surveillance-personal-data
<snip>
Britain and the US are the main two partners in the 'Five-Eyes' intelligence-sharing alliance, which also includes Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Until now, it had been generally understood that the citizens of each country were protected from surveillance by any of the others.

But the Snowden material reveals that:

• In 2007, the rules were changed to allow the NSA to analyse and retain any British citizens' mobile phone and fax numbers, emails and IP addresses swept up by its dragnet. Previously, this data had been stripped out of NSA databases – "minimized", in intelligence agency parlance – under rules agreed between the two countries.

• These communications were "incidentally collected" by the NSA, meaning the individuals were not the initial targets of surveillance operations and therefore were not suspected of wrongdoing.

• A separate draft memo, marked top-secret and dated from 2005, reveals a proposed NSA procedure for spying on the citizens of the UK and other Five-Eyes nations, even where the partner government has explicitly denied the US permission to do so. The memo makes clear that partner countries must not be informed about this surveillance, or even the procedure itself.

[Fumesucker]

1. Why don't you care that Snowwald had pole dancers in his garage?

And besides, this is old news that we've known about since 2006 or 1996 or something.



Did I get that about right?

[malaise]

2. ROFL

YOu did get it right

[BelgianMadCow]

4. Pff we're all doing it, they're all doing it, and it's to protect our Freedoms (TM)

I don't understand why you Crazy Lefties care. Got something to hide, hmmm??

[malaise]

5. Hahahahahahaha

[BelgianMadCow]

3. Was wondering when this would appear in GD. Glad to see it does

as I wasn't gonna post it, so as not to be labeled a troll or disruptor (which is what people posting about 2016, the NSA or TPP are to some, it would seem).

It's in LBN too: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014653179

I strongly suggest people read the comments at the Guardian as well. I read over there quite a bit, and I've not seen this level of anger before. And I've never ever seen such bipartisan condemnation. These policies originated under Blair, but it's Cameron who is threatening the Guardian. Now we know why. Commenters are rightfully speaking of TREASON.

Frankfurter Allgemeine also has the story this morning. Belgian "press" has nothing, zilch, nada.

Another thing to consider: wouldn't it be logical that if the US spies on UK citizens and passes the info along, the reverse is also happening? Or did the UK just give away its citizens' privacy for nothing?