The National Security Agency has released court documents that authorized the agency to build a huge collection of e-mail and online metadata from the American public to fight terrorism. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court authorized the collection. (The Washington Post, November 18, 2013, by Ellen Nakashima and Greg Miller)
The Electronic Freedom Foundation is challenging NSA’s record collection program in court. EFF said about the amicus briefs in the case that they show “the destructive effects that the phone records program has on fundamental constitutional rights, such as free speech, free association and the right to counsel.” (Electronic Freedom Foundation, November 19, 2013, by Andrew Crocker)
Steven Aftergood (Secrecy News, November 19, 2013) reported the the Obama administration is hailing the release of the documents as a new move toward transparency. Aftergood was skeptical that the release would help resolve the issue of NSA’s intelligence activities. “The legitimacy of bulk collection of email and telephone metadata may ultimately be more of a value judgment rather than a factual or legal one. At a minimum, perhaps the new documents will provide a more substantial basis for informed debate,” he wrote.