Trashing the Law against warrantless GPS tracking: NSA nabs 5 Billion Phone location Records a Day

[Pholus]

2. But this isn't being used for anything nefarious, they promise.

Of course the ability to verify that is classified. We have to take their word. Oh yeah, and they
have demonstrably lied to you before too...

The total costs for Intelligence of all sorts adds up to 10% of the entire defense
budget. Yeah, some of it is necessary, but the case has not been made that
this this vast ready-to-be-abused trove of intercepts has actually been useful
to plot detection, which is the only way this has been sold.

Those "54 thrwarted plots" from this summer certainly haven't held up to scrutiny it seems...

http://www.propublica.org/article/claim-on-attacks-thwarted-by-nsa-spreads-despite-lack-of-evidence

Daily Kos was even less generous....

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/03/1243770/-NSA-Dir-Gen-Alexander-Admits-Gov-t-Lied-About-54-Plots-Thwarted-By-Surveillance

Certainly, there is a forensic value to being able to go back through a permanent record and scrutinize EVERYTHING a particular individual did after the fact (AND EVEN MORE VALUE IN LOOKING FOR DIRT IN YOUR OPPONENTS), but if that's what you're doing be honest and sell THAT to the American people and put it up for a national referendum.

Betcha that would be a bit less popular...especially if the individual abuses and massive program costs were disclosed honestly.