NSA paid millions to cover Prism compliance costs for tech companies

[kpete]

Source: Guardian

The National Security Agency paid millions of dollars to cover the costs of major internet companies involved in the Prism surveillance program after a court ruled that some of the agency's activities were unconstitutional, according to top-secret material passed to the Guardian.

The technology companies, which the NSA says includes Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Facebook, incurred the costs to meet new certification demands in the wake of the ruling from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (Fisa) court.

The October 2011 judgment, which was declassified on Wednesday by the Obama administration, found that the NSA's inability to separate purely domestic communications from foreign traffic violated the fourth amendment.

While the ruling did not concern the Prism program directly, documents passed to the Guardian by whistleblower Edward Snowden describe the problems the decision created for the agency and the efforts required to bring operations into compliance. The material provides the first evidence of a financial relationship between the tech companies and the NSA.



Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/nsa-prism-costs-tech-companies-paid

[jtuck004]

1. Probably more like hundreds of millions... n/t

[kpete]

2. taxpayer's millions

and they lied about it too:

The disclosure that taxpayers' money was used to cover the companies' compliance costs raises new questions over the relationship between Silicon Valley and the NSA. Since the existence of the program was first revealed by the Guardian and the Washington Post on June 6, the companies have repeatedly denied all knowledge of it and insisted they only hand over user data in response to specific legal requests from the authorities.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/nsa-prism-costs-tech-companies-paid

[DJ13]

7. Now we know what vested interest Feinstein has in maintaining the spying

[progressoid]

3. WTF???

[kpete]

5. They're on the payroll! My head just exploded.

Here before you lies a piece of evidence supporting the hypothesis that profit-seeking corporations will always in the end trample over all human rights, democracy, the human interests of their customers, and so on.

Our capitalist system tends towards fascism ans authoritarianism because, quite simply, there is too much money to be made in partnerships between the state on the one hand and ruthless multinational corporations on the other hand. From the point of view of this partnership, an extensive authoritarian security apparatus that monitors and oppresses the population - behind a semblance of popular sovereignty and behind the fig leaf of our representative democracy - is simply too desirable and too profitable to resist.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/nsa-prism-costs-tech-companies-paid

[Jesus Malverde]

4. I'm curious about the size of the payments.

Are they proportionate to the costs incurred by the companies or are they more of a subsidy?

A partnership between government and select corporations, independent of democratic oversight. There's a political term for that...

[onehandle]

6. They paid Apple the least, because they complied last, after Steve Jobs stepped down.

Time to tell the truth, NSA.

[David Krout]

8. These companies are always pretending they are against spying

While making themselves rich at the same time off the same practice. Don't get duped.

[snooper2]

9. Holy SHIT this is HUGH!

LOL

Check this out, the Department of Justice pays for Wiretapping too! Well, in some cases...

And somebody leaked it to the Internet!



If DOJ denies the section 109(b)(2) application, then the carrier is deemed to be CALEA compliant for the facilities, networks, and services (facilities) described in the section 109(b)(1) petition until those facilities are replaced, significantly upgraded or otherwise undergo a major modification. When those facilities are replaced, significantly upgraded or otherwise undergo a major modification, the carrier is obligated under the law to become CALEA compliant. The FCC may also specify in its CALEA section 109(b)(1) order granting a carrier's petition the specific date when the replacement, upgrade or modification will occur and when CALEA compliance is required. Thus, a carrier's obligation to comply with all CALEA requirements is only deferred when (1) the FCC grants a section 109(b)(1) petition, and (2) DOJ declines to pay the additional reasonable costs to comply with one or more of the CALEA requirements. No qualifying carrier is exempt from CALEA.

Section 109(b)(1) petitions must be adequately supported, and the FCC decides whether to grant the petition strictly in reference to criteria set out in section 109(b)(1). Accordingly, carriers are encouraged to consult with competent legal and technical counsel before filing such a petition. Please note that a filing fee of $5,880.00 is required to accompany all CALEA section 109(b)(1) petitions filed with the FCC. See Appendix E entitled "Section 109(b)(1) Petitions for Cost-Shifting Relief: Filing Instructions," and paragraphs 38-57 of the CALEA Second Report and Order for detailed filing instructions and further explanation of the scope of relief, and its limitations, available under section 109(b).

http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/communications-assistance-law-enforcement-act

[valerief]

10. But it's okay. It's WAR money. War on Americans money. nt

[ConcernedCanuk]

11. "Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Facebook" - our privacy is gone

.
.
.

So messengers, FB posts, browsing history is all available courtesy of our net providers.

Guess we all better be aware that any or all of our behaviour on the web is available to the NSA.

Hitler would be jealous of what the USA has allowed with the creation and proliferation of the NSA.

IMO, NSA = National Spying Agency

Security my ass . . .

CC

[Catherina]

12. And they say we're too broke to fund social safety nets. Rec'd n/t

[Supersedeas]

13. our tax dollars hard at work