Sir Garlon writes:
According to the New York Times,
The Obama administration is preparing to unveil a legislative proposal for a far-reaching overhaul of the National Security Agency's once-secret bulk phone records program in a way that ... would end its systematic collection of data about Americans' calling habits. The bulk records would stay in the hands of phone companies, which would not be required to retain the data for any longer than they normally would. And the N.S.A. could obtain specific records only with permission from a judge, using a new kind of court order.
The Times' characterization of this as a "far-reaching overhaul" seems overstated, as the details of the proposal involve moving custody of the phone records from the NSA to the phone companies, and shortens retention time from five years to 18 months. The EPIC, ACLU, and EFF spokespersons quoted in the article reacted with guarded approval.
If submitted as planned, the bill would still need to pass the US House of Representatives and Senate.
According to EPIC, the NSA phone-records surveillance program is scheduled to end (in its current form) this Friday, though the Times article says President Obama plans to extend that deadline.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by mendax on Wednesday March 26 2014, @12:39AM
I'll believe it when I see it.
As I understand the situation, Obama, the constitutional scholar, believes that the NSA program is constitutional but wants the NSA to stop what it's doing because of public outrage. But I have little confidence in Obama anymore (and I voted for the bastard).
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by JeanCroix on Wednesday March 26 2014, @09:43AM
That's just the thing - we won't see it. By its very nature, all we can do is take their word for it. And I think it's apparent what their word is worth.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by davester666 on Wednesday March 26 2014, @01:37PM
believe me. we aren't getting a secret court to issue secret warrants that businesses which receive them can't tell anybody they received.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday March 26 2014, @09:50AM
I agree this is smoke and mirrors. It's giving the illusion of change while effecting no change at all. The only sign that they're serious about real change that matters is putting the heads of the NSA and CIA in prison, prosecuting everyone in the rank and file involved with torture and unconstitutional surveillance, severely cutting the funding to those agencies, and for all the schmucks in Congress supposedly providing oversight of the intelligence agencies to wind up on the street or in prison. Short of that, nope, sorry, they all deserve to burn.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by GungnirSniper on Wednesday March 26 2014, @12:49AM
Of course, it won't be 'required' to retain this data for long periods officially, but if management refuses, criminal charges could appear. [dailycaller.com]
Tips for better submissions to help our site grow. [dev.soylentnews.org]
(Score: 5, Interesting) by CowboyTeal on Wednesday March 26 2014, @01:28AM
There's nothing that is being proposed to change, rather it's simply just rewording and reallocating attention elsewhere. Do you really think Obama will do anything to stop the NSA from doing what they are doing? Of course not, he wants this system in place because his regime relies on this information to get what they want. Don't like it and you're a politician? Let them fetch some dirt on you and ruin you career. It has happened before and it will continue to happen. The NSA as much as I don't like saying it, they are simply the mediators in the process and not the controllers. They have their job and they do what they are told. Want to get rid of the NSA for good? Vote libertarian, they will do what they can to shrink the government to bare necessities. Obama wants a big brother government and his administration wants everyone under surveillance, chipped, and willingly obey what he and his secret police wants us to do. I wish this were all a conspiracy but every thing I just mentioned exists and has been said before. Obama is a totalitarian hence why not many Democrats like him anymore.
Getting siggy with it.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by TheB on Wednesday March 26 2014, @06:54AM
Smells like Blackwater to me.
Move the public services to private contractors to avoid association/responsibility, and dodge regulations at the same time.
In the name of restoring public trust he is giving more control to those with less oversite, but a different name.
You are 100% correct that there will be no change if people keep on voting Republican/Democrat.
Whats a better choice Obama/McCain or Johnson/Stein?
Voting third party isn't throwing throwing your vote away, it's the best option for returning government to the people.
(Score: 1) by urza9814 on Wednesday March 26 2014, @08:21AM
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:39PM
We're far past the point where voting can fix this mess.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @10:40AM
#1 why would anyone believe this? This is from an agency (agencies, really) that we know lied not only to us, but to the various oversight committees in Congress and the judiciary that were specifically designed to ensure these abuses didn't take place
#2 even if this happened it solves nothing. Anyone who's worked in situations like this knows "the companies" will become best buds with Larry, the NSA guy who brings in donuts all the time, and rubber stamp everything asked for. It will move from clickety-click I got yer data, to clickety-click, Bob sent me your data
#3
So rather than enforce existing laws, Obama wants to create more bureaucracy to repeat what the existing bureaucracy has consistently failed to do.
This is all bullshit.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 26 2014, @03:06PM
When everyone is chatting, emailing tweeting and 'gramming instantly phone records are a thing of a past.