NSA Data Mining Much Larger Than Reported

silassewell writes to tell us The New York Times is reporting that the "volume of information harvested from telecommunication data and voice networks, without court-approved warrants, is much larger than the White House has acknowledged." The NSA gained the cooperation of many American telecommunication companies after 9/11 to access streams of communication, both domestic and international, as a part of a presidentially approved program to hunt for evidence of terrorist activity.

Sad but true

[anagama]

I Soviet America, the phone listens to you.

We knew it from the begining

[AK Marc]

This administration has always been pro-mining (and drilling), so this should be no surprise.

Re:I'll scratch your back...

[MillionthMonkey]

I've always wondered what huge companies get by turning over data to the Feds. Companies never do anything to "make the world a better place" unless they are getting something in return... reduced regulation? maybe tax reductions?

Maybe the Patriot Act, the very same law that makes it a crime for the phone company to tell anyone about it when it happens.

Friends and Family

[Ohreally_factor]

FTFA:
"If they get content, that's useful to them too, but the real plum is going to be the transaction data and the traffic analysis," he said. "Massive amounts of traffic analysis information - who is calling whom, who is in Osama Bin Laden's circle of family and friends - is used to identify lines of communication that are then given closer scrutiny."

This is just the sort of sensitive information that the Whitehouse did not want leaked. Now Osama is going to change his long distance calling plan.

Modern USA

[gorehog]

I love living in the USA controlled by monied interests and the Republican party. They foster such an honest, compassionate, and responsible atmosphere for civil discourse.

Torture, lying, spying on citizens, the list of crimes Bush is responsible for goes on and on. Would someone give this guy a blowjob already so we can impeach him?

Re:Who cares what the (out-of-touch) NYT thinks?

[Anonymous Coward]

You forgot one thing in your post:

I'm George W. Bush and I approved this message.

Re:How to cope?

[DashItAll]

Well, I moved to Japan. The government largely leaves you alone because they don't speak your language too well.

Re:Soviet phone listening to you?

[mikek3332002]

He obviously doesn't understand what "impeachable offense" means.

Sure he does it's where you sleep with your secetary.

the money is on its way

[davebarnes]

plutonium implosion trigger

I for one...

[cwaldrip]

...welcome our new NSA overlords.

No, screw that... where's my gun! Time to overthrow the gov... hey, who are you? Get out of my house! Let go of me... I haven't even posted this yet...