Obama Puts Limited Restraints on NSA Spying After Snowden Leaks

[Purveyor]

Source: Bloomberg

by Chris Strohm
10:23 AM EST February 3, 2015



(Bloomberg) -- U.S. intelligence agencies will limit the use of information they collect on foreigners, including purging material that isn’t relevant to national security after five years, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The new measures outlined in a report issued Tuesday are the Obama administration’s response to the backlash against National Security Agency spying that was exposed by former U.S. contractor Edward Snowden.

U.S. intelligence agencies have updated their existing policies for collecting and retaining data about Americans and foreigners through electronic surveillance, or what is also known as signals intelligence, according to the report. Data on foreigners is now to be deleted within five years unless the director of national intelligence grants an extension.

“As we continue to face threats from terrorism, proliferation, and cyber-attacks, we must use our intelligence capabilities in a way that optimally protects our national security and supports our foreign policy while keeping the public trust and respecting privacy and civil liberties,” Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, said in a statement.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-03/obama-puts-limited-restraints-on-nsa-spying-after-snowden-leaks-i5pfsf9c

[billhicks76]

1. License Plate Readers

Like cell phone monitoring cataloging every cars movements across the country in real time through license plate readers has nothing to do with terrorism. It's about the drug war and always has been.

[JDPriestly]

2. We may have to resort to riding horses and bicycles if we want privacy.

Really! Why not just respect our rights to privacy? Is it really that hard to do the right thing?

[wildbilln864]

3. thank you Mr. Snowden! n/t

[candelista]

4. Purge material? :)

So there won't be a trace of any of that information anywhere in the 25 acre hard drive in Utah? They'll use Gutmann and erase it forever, so no one, including the intelligence community will ever be able to dig it up?

Bwahahaha!

No police state ever purges any information about anyone.

[PSPS]

5. It's quite a stretch to use the word "Limited" in the headline.

The story only relates to the requirement that data "on foreigners" be deleted after five years. However, the bulk data collection activity on all Americans in the US will continue unabated. This is why most people laugh when they hear Obama referred to as a "constitutional scholar." He's a charlatan.

There is no more America as long as we have that 240-acre hard drive in Utah.

[LiberalLovinLug]

6. But....you know....all this would have happened without Snowden in the picture

Clapper, after lying to Congress about mass NSA spying on Americans the first time would still come back, only voluntarily this time, to admit he didn't speak the truth. And Obama would just suddenly decide, after 5 years of saying nothing, to announce these measures.

[Snow Leopard]

7. for some reason I just don't

believe the gov't on this )

[hughee99]

8. Maybe I'm not reading this right, maybe it's just poorly written, but I have a question

"U.S. intelligence agencies have updated their existing policies for collecting and retaining data about Americans and foreigners through electronic surveillance, or what is also known as signals intelligence, according to the report. Data on foreigners is now to be deleted within five years unless the director of national intelligence grants an extension. "

Most Americans that had an issue with this "retaining data about Americans and foreigners through electronic surveillance" were pissed about the AMERICANS part of it. This announcement seems to imply that part isn't going to change, but the NSA will do a slightly better job protecting FOREIGNERS than it has.

In either case, I don't believe a word of it. It's a policy, not a law, and when it's not followed, no one will do anything about it.

[elias49]

9. Gotta read the fine print. Well, it isn't really fine

"...unless the director of national intelligence grants an extension."

He'd never do that, right?