NSA broke privacy rules thousands of times per year, audit finds

NSA broke privacy rules thousands of times per year, audit finds


The NSA uses the term “incidental” when it sweeps up the records of an American while targeting a foreigner or a U.S. person who is believed to be involved in terrorism. Official guidelines for NSA personnel say that kind of incident, pervasive under current practices, “does not constitute a . . . violation” and “does not have to be reported” to the NSA inspector general for inclusion in quarterly reports to Congress. Once added to its databases, absent other restrictions, the communications of Americans may be searched freely.

 

Yes, this is another one of those "scandals" Republicans want to blame on Obama.And these 2,776 violations are just for ONE year. Imagine how many have occurred since 2002 when the program started. Sad that this particular article makes note of the fact that it began in 2008 under you know who, and it has been reauthorized by Republicans at least twice. Damn thing should have never been implemented. It was bad enough when we had Echelon, and Carnivore.

"In one required tutorial, NSA collectors and analysts are taught to fill out oversight forms without giving “extraneous information” to “our FAA overseers.” FAA is a reference to the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which granted broad new authorities to the NSA in exchange for regular audits from the Justice Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and periodic reports to Congress and the surveillance court."