The vast majority of wiretaps were used in the war on drugs, not for terrorism (.gov Link inside)

[Kurska]

http://www.uscourts.gov/uscourts/Statistics/WiretapReports/2011/Table3.pdf

Of wiretaps issued in 2011 (Most recent year with data available), 2,334 were issued for drugs out of a total of 2,732. That is 85% for the mathematically not inclined among us.

If you really think the overwhelming and repressive surveillance state they are building is meant to keep you "safe from terrorists' you're being sold a massive bill of good. It is meant to keep you under control.

Oh and if anyone is joyous that they actually reported these numbers, don't be they stopped doing it in 2011 even though they are legally compelled to. Whoops!

[Pholus]

1. And the photo database to prevent drivers license fraud now supports virtual "lineups"

abuse of data to restrict freedoms and even face-matching technology. The brave new world we started makes us all suspects.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/state-photo-id-databases-become-troves-for-police/2013/06/16/6f014bd4-ced5-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html?hpid=z3

[HooptieWagon]

2. Just speculation...

but I suspect 2012 figures weren't released because a large number of wiretaps were for Occupy, Keystone protestors, and other politically inconvienient groups.

[Kurska]

3. Hadn't even thought of that, you're probably right. n/t

[RC]

7. They could release any numbers they want. How would we know?

[russspeakeasy]

4. Regarding the drug trade; were they trying to stop it,

or promote it ?

[Tx4obama]

5. The NDA's meta-database has NOTHING to do with a Court Ordered drug related phone 'wiretap'

Those are two completely different things.

[Kurska]

6. I believe the wiretap report covers FISA wiretaps

Like most things federal it is very Byzantine and unclear.