House Lawmakers Demand End To Warrantless Collection of Americans' Data (techcrunch.com) 111
Two House lawmakers are pushing an amendment that would effectively defund a massive data collection program run by the National Security Agency unless the government promises to not intentionally collect data of Americans. TechCrunch reports: The bipartisan amendment -- just 15 lines in length -- would compel the government to not knowingly collect communications -- like emails, messages and browsing data -- on Americans without a warrant. Reps. Justin Amash (R-MI, 3rd) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA, 19th) have already garnered the support from some of the largest civil liberties and rights groups, including the ACLU, the EFF, FreedomWorks, New America and the Sunlight Foundation.
Under the current statute, the NSA can use its Section 702 powers to collect and store the communications of foreign targets located outside the U.S. by tapping into the fiber cables owned and run by U.S. telecom giants. But this massive data collection effort also inadvertently vacuums up Americans' data, who are typically protected from unwarranted searches under the Fourth Amendment. The government has consistently denied to release the number of how many Americans are caught up in the NSA's data collection. For the 2018 calendar year, the government said it made more than 9,600 warrantless searches of Americans' communications, up 28% year-over-year.
Under the current statute, the NSA can use its Section 702 powers to collect and store the communications of foreign targets located outside the U.S. by tapping into the fiber cables owned and run by U.S. telecom giants. But this massive data collection effort also inadvertently vacuums up Americans' data, who are typically protected from unwarranted searches under the Fourth Amendment. The government has consistently denied to release the number of how many Americans are caught up in the NSA's data collection. For the 2018 calendar year, the government said it made more than 9,600 warrantless searches of Americans' communications, up 28% year-over-year.
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This is actually the plan that is most likely to work.
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Oddly enough, I used this same strategy when my stepson was 6 years old. He had mostly figured it out before he was 8; any bets on whether the President will figure it out before he's 80?
Re:the small government - freedom lovibg repugnard (Score:5, Insightful)
But I do hate you. And if I ever meet you, I want to be the one that watches you die. You are a bigot. Bigots deserve to die slow painful deaths.
Well, we can all agree that SOMEONE in this conversation is a bigot who hates people because they are different than themselves.
But I don't agree that bigots should be killed; that's pretty crazy. Have you considered anger management therapy?
Hi, shill (Score:3)
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The bipartisan amendment -- just 15 lines in length -- would compel the government to not knowingly collect communications -- like emails, messages and browsing data -- on Americans without a warrant. Reps. Justin Amash (R-MI, 3rd) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA, 19th) have already garnered the support from some of the largest civil liberties and rights groups, including the ACLU, the EFF, FreedomWorks, New America and the Sunlight Foundation.
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will never let it pass - why do you hate america?
Given the Obama FBI/CIA/NSA spying on the Trump campaign in 2016, I doubt that the 'repugnards', as you call them, will be enthusiastic about still supporting this, unless and until the FISA law either gets amended, or that the FISA abuses are totally investigated.
Re:Valuable for future generations of researchers (Score:4, Insightful)
From: NSA
To: Congress
Regarding: Wire Tapping Planet Earth
We Pinky Swear that the government promises to not intentionally collect data of Americans.
Am I the only one that sees the Irony in this?
The House? (Score:1)
Cue to GOP lawmakers shutting down the amendment because it's somehow socialist.
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The bipartisan amendment -- just 15 lines in length -- would compel the government to not knowingly collect communications -- like emails, messages and browsing data -- on Americans without a warrant. Reps. Justin Amash (R-MI, 3rd) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA, 19th) have already garnered the support from some of the largest civil liberties and rights groups, including the ACLU, the EFF, FreedomWorks, New America and the Sunlight Foundation.
Re:The House? (Score:5, Insightful)
This is easy to demonstrate. The Senate is controlled by Republicans, so since they cannot stand the invasion of privacy I'm sure that they'll quickly pass this amendment. If they don't, then will you consider that the truth is... rather more complex than you seem to think?
Thanks Justin Amash (Score:1)
This bill, SOPA, PIPA, actually reading the Muller report. These are the reasons why I keep voting for Republican Justin Amash. Thank you for taking your job seriously, and thank you for defending our fourth amendment rights.
The rest of my ballot is typically Democrat, with some independents, Greens, and a few Libertarians.
Strange how most U.S. citizens do not research those that they are voting for.
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Can track all calls except telemarketers (Score:3, Interesting)
It's great how we have the technology to track and record meta-data about pretty much all American's calls, texts, emails, and surfing. But it's still beyond the government to stop illegal telemarketing calls. Is there a political party out there which can handle nuts and bolts of governing a society as well as the big picture constitutional issues?
Re:Can track all calls except telemarketers (Score:5, Insightful)
They are not interested in putting telemarketers in jail. Just people that threaten their authority.
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How the conversation really went:
Congress>
You have to stop breaking the law.
NSA>
Nope.
Congress>
Well alright then.
Seriously, who tries to persuade the government to pinky-promise to follow the laws of the land? They don't have to and they won't, so there's no point asking and even less point telling them to. Nice grandstanding though.
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"But this massive data collection effort also inadvertently vacuums up Americans' data"
"who are typically protected from unwarranted searches under the Fourth Amendment."
My bad, they aren't breaking the law they're just violating the constitution.
Phew. Glad you pointed that out. It's a good job the constitution isn't worth shit anymore or there might be hell to pay.
Re: Can track all calls except telemarketers (Score:2)
No, but there are some doing it much better (Score:3)
> .Is there a political party out there which can handle nuts and bolts of governing a society as well as the big picture constitutional issues?
Speaking of Constitutional issues, there is a government entity that more or less successfully handles:
Fire protection
Health department
Schools
Roads
Utilities, in many cases
Courts
Drivers license
Zoning
Building inspections
Parks
etc
The Constitution says the federal government is only allowed to do certain listed things. Everything else is Constitutionally reserved to y
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Agreed, very valid point. And its a shame that we as a populace spend most of our mental energy worrying about national politics, watching news about national politics, watching Youtube about national politics, comedy shows about...get the idea. Instead of showing up once a month at that boring-arse city council meeting or school board, etc. Counting myself in this as well.
Mid-year resolution: attend at least three local government functions in the remaining months of 2019.
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And its a shame that we as a populace spend most of our mental energy worrying about national politics
I've been saying this for years on Slashdot, especially w.r.t. thinks like the so called and ever-morphing "Net Neutrality" (it is ever-morphing because it defies the economics of networks, which is that the sending network pays the receiving network, or else it all falls apart in abuse), but I keep getting modded down, presumably by Californians, who perhaps long ago gave up on their own politicians representing them.
Why even bother posting anon (Score:2)
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Yes, but one Tomahawk missile spending can only fund one classroom's K-8 education, and where's the fireball in that?
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There are two real political parties. And yes, between those two, one is both better at nuts and bolts governing and at not violating the constitution.
No point (Score:2)
As a non-American... (Score:1)
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Secondly, with that said, I do not like the thought of ANY GOVERNMENT/person getting to data that should be private. For example, if we send email to each other, we tend to
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Re: As a non-American... (Score:2)
citations. (Score:2)
Good write-up about the attacks in Europe AFTER NSA was booted for a time and then asked to come back after terrorists attacks increased [pbs.org]
Here is the timeline of attacks in Europe. Note that NSA operated there from 2006-2013, and then came back to teach nations in late 2016. For the last 2 years, nothing. [wikipedia.org]
pointless because of five eyes (Score:4, Insightful)
You will work with the Brits or one of your other five eyes partners to make sure they all have access to this tech.
Then if you want to spy on Americans, you'll ask the Brits or one of the others to do it for you. And vice versa.
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Note that when door is closed, feds can not come in, and generally, the law recognizes that it is B/E illegally, if door was at least closed. However, you really need to have it locked to prove that you at least made REAL a
We promise we won't!!! (Score:2, Funny)
Really, We promise we won't!!! [imgflip.com]
WRONG. AGAIN. (Score:2)
China and Russia are collecting this same data. By restricting the west, but not denying access to the others, will ONLY make it easier for them.
THe bill needs to read that if the data is clear text, then the gov can collect all it wants. It is in PUBLIC.
OTOH, if it is encrypted, sent encrypted, stored encrypted, basically, sealed like an envelope, THEN the gov needs a warrant
This needs to be put DIRECTLY in the bill so that everybody on the net understands that if t
Can you hear that ? (Score:2)
" unless the government promises to not intentionally collect data of Americans "
If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the laughter coming out of a certain data center in Utah . . . . .
The bill allows the NSA to name and shame any fore (Score:2)
What a wonderful mine of blackmail material
but will it be enforced ? (Score:4, Interesting)
The reason these agencies do this shit is because:
1 always ask for forgiveness instead of permission
2 we don't seem to be interested in enforcing laws, unless it's against people who can't defend themselves
so the question is, are we going to enforce this or is the head of the NSA, CIA, et al, just going to get in front of congress and lie about it, AGAIN.
And AGAIN, nothing will happen to them.
Remember the head of the CIA is an agent that had allowed torture on her watch and then destroyed evidence of it, and she was made head of the CIA.
This kind of starts from the top rot has a very corrosive effect on society, and it's getting much worse. I don't know how you get people with integrity and a conscience into places of authority, but we need them more than ever.
What about warrantless collection of all data? (Score:2)