National Security Agency’s Loss Made Snowden Smile - http://clapway.com/2015/12/01/national-security-agencys-loss-made-snowden-smile121/

The National Security Agency has officially announced that, due to the newly agreed USA Freedom Act, they are shutting down one of their largest spying programs. A former member of the NSA, Edward Snowden, should be the happiest person to hear this news.

THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY SHUTS DOWN SPYING PROGRAM

The NSA has broken the news on what the USA Freedom Act is aimed at. The NSA mentioned how this act is aimed at eliminating the bulk of the metadata collected by them and they mentioned how this act was passed by Congress in June, but because of the 180-day transition period it officially shut down November 28th. They also mention that the new law will require them, and any other government agencies, to get a court order before being able to collect any information or phone records for people. A report was also released by Reuters which pointed out that any data the NSA has will last until February 29th, 2016, but after that the NSA will have to delete all historic records.

EDWARD SNOWDEN PROBABLY SMILING AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY

For anyone who does not know the story on Edward Snowden, according to the NSA, Snowden was a member for them and he disclosed classified information from them to the public in 2013. After this, NSA says how Snowden was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice for this incident. This incident is precisely why Snowden is probably smiling at what has happened to the NSA. This can be thought of as Snowden’s payback against the NSA. It can be imagined that Snowden is happy about this news. Not only Snowden, but the general public should be happy about this news because they gained a little more privacy. The NSA will certainly shake up after this new law has been passed and it will be interesting to see how they handle it in the coming months and years.

National Security Agency’s Loss Made Snowden Smile

You"ll want to know this if your #mobile service provider happens to be #AT&T. - http://clapway.com/2015/08/16/att-has-been-helping-the-nsa-spy-on-internet-traffic-333/

Some newly disclosed documents, dating from 2003 to 2013, cite that the telecom company, AT&T, has been helping the U.S. NSA to spy on the Internet traffic passing across the United States. The topic was first brought to light by the former NSA contractor, Edward Snowden and started a huge debate about individuals’ privacy.

WHAT’S NEW?

The New York Times reported on Saturday that AT&T gave technical support to the National Security Agency, after carrying out an undercover court order, which gave permission to the government of the United States to intercept all web communications of the company’s customers in the United Nations.

HOW DID THAT HELP THE NSA?

Also, the telecom giant helped the spy agency with a series of classified activities, and the documents describe the connection between the NSA and AT&T as “a partnership and not a contractual relationship.” The telecom company helped the NSA to organize and carry out surveillance of international web communications that weathered through junction networks in the United States, and according to the NSA document, AT&T has been providing access to other telecoms and Internet Service Providers as well.

The reason why this access provided is extremely important is because a huge amount of the world’s web communication is transmitted through U.S. cables. The surveillance equipment that AT&T installed in, at least, 17 of its Internet hubs in America is located far away from Verizon’s equipment, and the first who tried the new technology were the company’s engineers.

AT&T’S COMMENTS

The Times report that in 2011 AT&T started giving the agency access to more than 1.1 billion private cellphone calls on a daily basis, in order to prepare for the 9/11 10th anniversary, as the document cites.

AT&T spokesman, Brad Burns, was asked to comment on the New York Times report and he chose to respond by an email to Reuters, saying that the company provides selected information to investigating authorities, only when a person’s life is in danger and time is valuable: “For example, in a kidnapping situation we could provide help tracking down called numbers to assist law enforcement,” he continued.

Burns added that the company has nothing more to report.

AT&T Has Been Helping the NSA Spy on Internet Traffic

U.S.: NSA’s Patriot Act Program in Jeopardy as Senate Blocks Extension - http://clapway.com/2015/05/23/us-nsas-patriot-act-program-in-jeopardy-as-senate-blocks-extension123/

The future of the National Security’s Agency controversial Patriot Act Program is in doubt as the US Senate failed to agree to extend the law pass its June 1 deadline. It was announced early Saturday morning that after an overnight meeting, key measures that would have allowed the Patriot Act– a law that allows the US government to collect data on its citizens’ private and public communications– were blocked.

 

What Measures Did the Senate Block to Prevent the NSA Surveillance Program?

The US Senate blocked two important measures that would uphold the lifespan of the Patriot Act. The first measure sought to not only shift data storage responsibilities from the government to the telecommunications companies but to also restrict the multitude of ways the government can access the data information. It failed to pass in a 57-42 vote. The seeking measure requested a two-month extension in order to bypass the current June 1 expiration date. This measure was also dismissed with a 54-45 vote.

 

Why Is The Patriot Act Controversial?

The Patriot Act first came into play in late 2001, in the immediate weeks following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In an effort to prevent similar attacks in the future, and to also speed the process of finding those responsible for the World Trade Center attacks, then President George W. Bush and Congress signed a new law that allowed intelligence agencies and law enforcement to collect and store information on citizens they suspect of terrorist activity without warrant.

This means records, electronic correspondence, Internet histories, phone conversations, and papers can be monitored by the government if they have reason to a citizen is conducting, or is supporting, terrorist activities. The patriot act also allows for wire-tapping and the surveillance of suspicious non-citizens.

US citizens and lawmakers alike disagree on whether this level of surveillance, especially when done without the general public’s knowledge, infringes on privacy and human rights.

 

Is the Patriot Act Really Needed?

To date, the Patriot Act has not been credited with preventing a terrorist plot. And after Edward Snowden leaked classified information that exposed the extent of the secret programs used to collect data on Americans and other countries, people have become even more suspicious of the program.

Opponents of the Patriot Act say that the law is revoking its citizens right to privacy, while supporters, including President Obama, maintain that these programs are essential in protecting the United States from domestic and overseas violence.

Is This Really the End of the Patriot Act?

The Senate has planned another meeting set to begin on May 31. They will once again attempt to come to an agreement that ensures the continuation of the Patriot Act and also leaves opponents more secure with the amount of data collected and the methods use to gain this data.

The NSA is already reducing data collection in the possibility of all measures to keep the Patriot Act alive fail again.

U.S.: NSA’s Patriot Act Program in Jeopardy as Senate Blocks Extension