Secret US court allows resumption of bulk phone metadata spying

[Newsjock]

Source: Ars Technica

A secret US tribunal ruled late Monday that the National Security Agency is free to continue its bulk telephone metadata surveillance program—the same spying that Congress voted to terminate weeks ago.

Congress disavowed the program NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden exposed when passing the USA Freedom Act, which President Barack Obama signed June 2. The act, however, allowed for the program to be extended for six months to allow "for an orderly transition" to a less-invasive telephone metadata spying program.

For that to happen, the Obama administration needed the blessing of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court). The government just revealed the order.

In setting aside an appellate court's ruling that the program was illegal, the FISA Court ruled that "Congress deliberately carved out a 180-day period following the date of enactment in which such collection was specially authorized. For this reason, the Court approves the application (PDF) in this case."

Read more: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/06/secret-us-court-allows-resumption-of-bulk-phone-metadata-spying/

[newfie11]

1. Whose suprised

Not me

[sadoldgirl]

2. Thank you, Mr President

Candidate Obama promised to return the 4th amendment
to us; President Obama does not even allow the
Congress to do so in limited form.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. And you thought this was a suprise.

[OnyxCollie]

4. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[OakCliffDem]

5. Isn't this a great country?

We have secret laws that a person can break without knowing

A person can be charged with violating a secret law and not be allowed to tell anyone

A person can be tried in a secret court for violating a secret law and not be allowed to tell anyone

A person can be punished for violating a secret law and not be allowed to tell anyone

This is a Republican's dream come true. Thanks George W. Bush, we love the Patriot Act!

[Psephos]

9. After seven years, it's now Thanks Barack Obama.

He had so many ways to undo Bush's evil, and did none of them.

[Solly Mack]

6. I'd snort but why even bother.

[Qutzupalotl]

7. So it's limited to six months.

That's a start. What I want to know is, how will we know they're complying and ending the program after that?

[Hydra]

8. I'm sure they'll tell us they need another 6 months to implement the new system

And another, and another. Or maybe some terrorist event will occur and they will say they could have prevented it if they had the mass spying powers they are already using to spy on us dangerous lefties.

Snowden risked a lot to document this for us, give us a legal basis to go after an administration hell bent on covering up these Bush projects and expanding them...and we're back to them using the "We'll make it legal" strategy.

I thought we voted against the Bush Administration?