NSA phone data collection far more limited than had been disclosed

[mimi85]

By Ken Dilanian
February 7, 2014, 7:58 p.m.

WASHINGTON — Although U.S. intelligence officials have indicated since last summer that the National Security Agency was vacuuming up nearly every American telephone record for counter-terrorism investigations, officials acknowledged Friday that the spy agency collects data from less than a third of U.S. calls because it can't keep pace with cellphone usage.

In a speech last month, President Obama called the bulk collection of telephone records the most controversial part of the debate over security and privacy sparked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden’s leaks of classified material. Obama announced plans to impose greater judicial review on the program and to limit how it can be used.

But the NSA operation now seems far less pervasive than it appeared, raising questions about whether it is as essential a terrorist-fighting tool as the NSA and its supporters have argued. Rather than sweeping in all U.S. call records, officials said, the NSA is gathering toll records from most domestic land line calls, but is incapable of collecting those from most cellphone or Internet calls. The details were first disclosed by the Washington Post.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because much of the program remains classified, said they did not correct the public record because they did not want to tip off potential adversaries to obvious gaps in the coverage. "We didn't want to tell the bad guys to go out and get a cellphone," one senior intelligence official said.

--snip--

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-nsa-phones-20140208,0,486129.story#ixzz2slRyK3fW

[villager]

1. Not due to intent or legal protections, of course, if true...

But simply because they claim they "can't keep up."

Interesting point the article makes that if this is so, it raises "questions about whether it is as essential a terrorist-fighting tool as the NSA and its supporters have argued."

Given that the President is one of those supporters, I wonder if this will encourage him to put more protections in place now, before the NSA does catch up with the other 2/3.

Not that spying on one out of every three people without a warrant is a good thing...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. We need another Snowden to tell the NSA what it's actually doing.

It, and it's apologists, seem to be taking the "I know nothing" defense.

[Downwinder]

3. But we would if we could.

[solarhydrocan]

4. "officials acknowledged Friday that the spy agency collects data from less than a third..."

Not going to believe known proven liars. Who are these "officials"?

How many lies does one have to be told before doubt sinks in?

Is this lying jackass one of the "officials"?

Stop violating the 4th amendment NOW. Lots of people have died for the Bill of Rights.

[cantbeserious]

5. Minimizing The Crime By Minimizing The Impact - Misdirection To Minimize Public Outrage

eom

[Mnemosyne]

6. ^^^this^^^ K&R nt

[grasswire]

7. can't believe a word they say.

Liars.

[riderinthestorm]

8. Oh, I think the fabricated evidence trails are arguably more "controversial"...

Our EU allies, whose lines have been tapped like they are "terrorists" would probably call that aspect of the NSA's activities the most "controversial".

Then of course, there's that pesky question of whether any of this is Constitutional in the first place - that might be the most controversial.

This is a classic use of trying to minimize the activity... "see its not SOOOO bad - just 1/3rd bad."

[Fumesucker]

9. "There is a time to laugh and a time not to laugh, and this is not one of them." -Clouseau