01-17-2014, 02:20 PM
OBAMA ANNOUNCES NEW NSA DATA COLLECTION PROTOCOLS
![[Image: bush-nsa-obama-jpg_4807_20130627-134.jpg]](http://www.opednews.com/populum/uploadnic/bush-nsa-obama-jpg_4807_20130627-134.jpg)
Snip:
President Barack Obama on Friday defended the the "vital role" that intelligence-gathering plays in the nation's security, as he nonetheless announced changes aimed at increasing transparency and protecting privacy and civil liberties.
The reforms that Obama announced will end the controversial National Security Agency telephone bulk collection program as it currently exists, officials said.
Intelligence analysts will now need court approval to go into phone records routinely stored by the NSA, a change resulting from concerns raised by classified leaks last year by former agency contractor Edward Snowden that revealed the government's collection of phone "metadata."
No evidence of abuse has been found involving surveillance programs, but changes are needed in response to legitimate privacy concerns that have been raised, Obama said.
The President remained critical of Snowden..."Our nation's defense depends in part on the fidelity of those entrusted with our nation's secrets," Obama said. "If any individual who objects to government policy can take it in their own hands to publicly disclose classified information, then we will never be able to keep our people safe, or conduct foreign policy."
He also said that the United States "is not spying on ordinary people who don't threaten our national security" and added that "unless there is a compelling national security purpose, we will not monitor the communications of heads of state and government of our close friends and allies."
NSA domestic and international phone and e-mail surveillance is considered some of the most widespread intelligence gathering performed by the U.S. government.
Federal courts are divided on NSA telephone data collection.
The top-secret the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which oversees the legal aspects of surveillance, earlier this month reauthorized the program for another three months.
The program is covered under Section 215 of the Patriot Act initiated by George W. Bush after 9 / 11 and has been authorized 36 times over the past seven years.
Full story: http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/17/politics/o...?hpt=hp_t1
Snip:
President Barack Obama on Friday defended the the "vital role" that intelligence-gathering plays in the nation's security, as he nonetheless announced changes aimed at increasing transparency and protecting privacy and civil liberties.
The reforms that Obama announced will end the controversial National Security Agency telephone bulk collection program as it currently exists, officials said.
Intelligence analysts will now need court approval to go into phone records routinely stored by the NSA, a change resulting from concerns raised by classified leaks last year by former agency contractor Edward Snowden that revealed the government's collection of phone "metadata."
No evidence of abuse has been found involving surveillance programs, but changes are needed in response to legitimate privacy concerns that have been raised, Obama said.
The President remained critical of Snowden..."Our nation's defense depends in part on the fidelity of those entrusted with our nation's secrets," Obama said. "If any individual who objects to government policy can take it in their own hands to publicly disclose classified information, then we will never be able to keep our people safe, or conduct foreign policy."
He also said that the United States "is not spying on ordinary people who don't threaten our national security" and added that "unless there is a compelling national security purpose, we will not monitor the communications of heads of state and government of our close friends and allies."
NSA domestic and international phone and e-mail surveillance is considered some of the most widespread intelligence gathering performed by the U.S. government.
Federal courts are divided on NSA telephone data collection.
The top-secret the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which oversees the legal aspects of surveillance, earlier this month reauthorized the program for another three months.
The program is covered under Section 215 of the Patriot Act initiated by George W. Bush after 9 / 11 and has been authorized 36 times over the past seven years.
Full story: http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/17/politics/o...?hpt=hp_t1