Shocked, Shocked That There's Spying Going on in a Spy Agency!
A breaking story is out this morning about--shock of shocks--a spy agency is engaging in, well, spying. The NSA has compiled a database of phone calls made by US callers. This is not the content of the calls, but the record of one number dialing another.

This is called, in law enforcement circles, "ludds and tolls" meaning local usage details and toll calls. It is the record of calling that you made from your phone. Newsflash: you have no expectation of privacy in a phone number you dial (you're giving it to a third party), and it is well settled law. Indeed, for law enforcement officers to get these records, a warrant is not even required, merely a subpoena. Bottom line, what the NSA has done is NOT illegal.

The purpose of this program is obviously some type of data mining. Use statistical tools to find connections between callers to other callers, suspect locations, etc.

The news shows are making much of this, but it is seemingly a tempest in a teapot. Newt Gingrich just appeared on Fox News and suggested that the President go after this issue head on and challenge the Congress and the Democrats that, yes, we are doing this to protect the country. It is not illegal. It is not an invasion of privacy. Would you have us discontinue a useful program to track terrorists?

Indeed.
- posted by Base10 @ 11:05 AM