White House To Propose Ending NSA Phone Records Collection

The New York Times reported last night that the White House is planning to introduce a legislative package that would mostly end the NSA's bulk collection of phone records. Instead, phone companies would be required to hand over records up to "two hops" from a target number. Phone companies would be required to retain records for 18 months (already legally mandated) instead of the NSA storing records for five years. It does not appear that secret courts and secret orders from the court would be abolished, however. From the article: "The new type of surveillance court orders envisioned by the administration would require phone companies to swiftly provide records in a technologically compatible data format, including making available, on a continuing basis, data about any new calls placed or received after the order is received, the officials said ... The administration’s proposal would also include a provision clarifying whether Section 215 of the Patriot Act, due to expire next year unless Congress reauthorizes it, may in the future be legitimately interpreted as allowing bulk data collection of telephone data. ... The proposal would not, however, affect other forms of bulk collection under the same provision."

Re:Sure

[NotDrWho]

And considering the long and illustrious history of the NSA flat out LYING to the American people, Congress, and even the President himself; I wouldn't trust them to actually implement any change even if Congress passed 100 laws mandating it and the President made a pinkie promise that they were going to follow them.

Shit, I wouldn't trust them if they told me if was daytime outside and my watch read 1 p.m.

Re:Sure

[CrimsonAvenger]

Obama is the Chief Executive.

If he really wanted to stop this shit, he could issue an executive order stopping this shit. Congress never passed a law requiring the NSA to collect this data; Obama could stop this shit RIGHT NOW if he wanted to.

Just so.

Recently, Congress got upset when it discovered that the CIA was monitoring their use of a certain computer.

When the congresscritters (who were Dems) started yelling about it, Obama's response was that he was going to remain "neutral" in this argument between CIA and Congress.

So, the head guy in the Executive Branch, when the Executive Branch gets into a shouting match with the Legislative Branch is going to be NEUTRAL???

He's either in favour of the CIA behaving as it did (whether the CIA is right or wrong in this case is not relevant), or he's not really in charge of his own branch of government.

Which, in either case, makes him a (let's keep this polite) less-than-good President.

Re:Still properly tantamount to investigation with

[l0n3s0m3phr34k]

Another interesting fact about John Adams, a quote from the Treaty of Tripoli he signed: "As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion". Very few people know of this, personally I feel that this should be part of ever American History class in the US.