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In reply to the discussion: For The Record: The NSA Spied on All Americans. It Is a Fact. [View all]jeff47
(26,549 posts)127. The ruling did not claim it only covered individual suspects.
I won't recap all of the revelations from the leaked documents.
How about providing a single example?
The 1979 decision applied to the wiretap of a single individual who was a suspect in an investigation.
Nope. That was the background of the case.
The ruling stated:
1) Phone metadata is a run-of-the-mill business record, and thus has no legal protection. As opposed to something like medical records that have legal protection.
2) Phone metadata belongs to the phone company, and not the individual. So the phone company gets to decide what to do with the metadata.
Because of 1) and 2), phone metadata can be gathered without a warrant, and without contacting the individual. And that applies whether you are collecting from one person or 350 million people. Scale is irrelevant to both components.
He rejected the government's argument that a 1979 Maryland case provided precedent for the constitutionality of collecting phone metadata, noting that public use of telephones had increased dramatically in the past three decades.
Which is why he is wrong. There is absolutely nothing in the 1979 ruling that restricts the scale of collection.
IMO a better ruling would have invalidated it based on the much larger amount of data collected as metadata. The 1979 data was just time of day, number called and duration. Cell phones provide much, much, much more data as metadata.
I suppose it comes down to who you want to believe - the NSA's own talking points, or the analysis from a wide spectrum of dissenters.
Alternatively, you could take more than a second to think about the post you are responding to, and realize the poster isn't backing the NSA's position. The poster is saying we have a much larger problem that requires a legislative fix. Just because Google or AT&T is doing the spying doesn't make it OK.
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Welcome to DU!You actually consider that "not a problem" when the private sector collects your info?
villager
Apr 2014
#156
First of all, you do know that Wikileaks can be edited by anyone on the internet, right?
cui bono
Apr 2014
#13
Data bases are quite complicated,You type in a query and it returns the results
Dragonfli
Apr 2014
#78
Some apparently has a different fourth amendment, you know like Cliven Bundy,
Thinkingabout
Apr 2014
#47
I've seen that part of the hearing a number of times. Clapper answered the question truthfully.
George II
Apr 2014
#90
No one is entitled to their own "Facts" the fact is NSA spies and is spying on US all. Believe what
Vincardog
Apr 2014
#110
"have you noticed a flood of posters roughly 200 to 400 posts recently getting very animated in DU?"
Cali_Democrat
Apr 2014
#12
Getting that check every two weeks from Karl Rove helps keep perspective
MannyGoldstein
Apr 2014
#21
You can argue the unconstitutionality of a program before it reaches the high court.
ForgoTheConsequence
Apr 2014
#28
What evidence are you basing your certainty of "no they didnt" on? Are you absolutely certain?
rhett o rick
Apr 2014
#46
Baffled that anyone believes the NSA didn't spy on all Americans, and doesn't still.
Skip Intro
Apr 2014
#27
So Mr. Jeff, you seem to enjoy finding cracks in arguments (whether they are there or not)
hueymahl
Apr 2014
#163
The problem with attempting a "gotcha" is you have to actually be clever to pull it off.
jeff47
Apr 2014
#65
Blatant epic false equivalency. Phone companies are not looking for criminals and terrorists.
L0oniX
Apr 2014
#92
I agree with you that corporate collection of personal information is a problem.
Maedhros
Apr 2014
#120
Manny, You Are A Treasure Here, And This Place Wouldn't Be The Same Without You !!!
WillyT
Apr 2014
#72
I remember then talking about listening for certian words and then tracking those words. That would
jwirr
Apr 2014
#86
I was not the one who fist suggested that they spied on us using words. I do not remember where
jwirr
Apr 2014
#98
It is fact the NSA spied on all Americans. I would not presume Obama was going to state any
Jefferson23
Apr 2014
#134
It is a material fact, yes, may be a disputed fact by the NSA..that is different.
Jefferson23
Apr 2014
#138
People are sometimes uncomfortable with information,the scope of the Snowden leak has been riveting.
Jefferson23
Apr 2014
#146
just lurking, but that's a total fail on your part. You can't answer a simple question.
uhnope
Apr 2014
#164
"Why bother with an investigation and trial? He's guilty. I'm sure of it."
LanternWaste
Apr 2014
#143
The NSA and the CIA have been doing things they shouldn't have since 1947 (CIA) and 1952 (NSA).
Sarah Ibarruri
Apr 2014
#158