FISA Court Rubber Stamps Continued Collection Of Metadata On All Phone Calls

[roo_ster]

FISA Court Rubber Stamps Continued Collection Of Metadata On Every Single Phone Call

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131011/16065524845/fisa-court-rubber-stamps-continued-collection-metadata-every-single-phone-call.shtml

This won't come as a huge surprise, I would imagine, but the telephony metadata dragnet collection that has to be renewed every few months "expired" today and was promptly reapproved by the FISA court, because "*expletive deleted*ck you, that's why." That's not quite what they said, but consider it the bureaucratic-speak equivalent, coming from the Director of National Intelligence

Even though the same thing has been rubber stamped every few months for at least the past seven years, this time there was an attempt at a full justification for why it made sense. Of course, since it was a one-sided situation, without any adversarial hearing or opinion, it allowed the FISA court to make up its own rules and completely contradict the Supreme Court (to whom it's supposed to listen).

...we've also learned that this program of collecting data on every phone call in the US has been necessary to stop precisely zero attacks in the US -- but it did apparently lead them to a taxi driver sending some money to some not very nice people in Somalia.

Form without substance.  Given that this has stopped zero attacks on America, I presume that it continues for some other reason and that militant muslim terrorists are not the actual target of surveillance.

[AZRedhawk44]

There needs to be a "defendant" in FISA.

Someone non-governmental.

I think an EFF lawyer would be a good starting point.

[Pb]

I'm really angry that my "R" represenative supports this.   

[Tallpine]

I'm really angry that my "R" represenative supports this.   

Just keeping you safe from the terrists.  Otherwise they will win.

[Hawkmoon]

Just keeping you safe from the terrists.  Otherwise they will win.

They have already won. The United States is bankrupt (monetarily and morally), and the American .gov is spying on its own citizens to an unprecedented degree. Americans have no real freedoms, only the illusion of freedom, half of America is owned by the Chinese, and all the gas stations, quick-marts, and budget hotels are owned by Pakistanis (all named Patel).

What's left for us to lose?

[Tallpine]

They have already won. The United States is bankrupt (monetarily and morally), and the American .gov is spying on its own citizens to an unprecedented degree. Americans have no real freedoms, only the illusion of freedom, half of America is owned by the Chinese, and all the gas stations, quick-marts, and budget hotels are owned by Pakistanis (all named Patel).

What's left for us to lose?

Our optimism 

[SADShooter]

Our optimism 

Snort!