Obama to Place Some Restraints on Surveillance

[steve2470]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/15/us/politics/judge-warns-proposed-safeguards-could-hamper-surveillance-court.html

WASHINGTON — President Obama will issue new guidelines on Friday to curtail government surveillance, but will not embrace the most far-reaching proposals of his own advisers and will ask Congress to help decide some of the toughest issues, according to people briefed on his thinking.

Mr. Obama plans to increase limits on access to bulk telephone data, call for privacy safeguards for foreigners and propose the creation of a public advocate to represent privacy concerns at a secret intelligence court. But he will not endorse leaving bulk data in the custody of telecommunications firms, nor will he require court permission for all so-called national security letters seeking business records.

The emerging approach, described by current and former government officials who insisted on anonymity in advance of Mr. Obama’s widely anticipated speech, suggested a president trying to straddle a difficult line in hopes of placating foreign leaders and advocates of civil liberties without a backlash from national security agencies. The result seems to be a speech that leaves in place many current programs, but embraces the spirit of reform and keeps the door open to changes later.

The decision to provide additional privacy protections for non-American citizens or residents, for instance, largely codifies existing practices but will be followed by a 180-day study by the director of national intelligence about whether to go further. Likewise, instead of taking the storage of bulk data out of government hands, as recommended by a review panel he appointed, Mr. Obama will leave it in place for now and ask lawmakers to weigh in.

[BlueCheese]

1. Poor window dressing.

It's like the way they reacted to Bush's wiretapping program-- making it legal, with some limits for show.

I don't know what happened to Candidate Obama on this issue. But President Obama has been a gigantic disappointment on this. I would never have thought that he'd be carrying so much water for the surveillance state.

[sabrina 1]

2. There is no need to straddle anything. The 4th Amendment of the Constitution should

be his and every other elected official's guide on this issue. It could not be more clear.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized

We are told this 'Secret Court' issues warrants, AFTER THE FACT, if that is not the most ridiculous attempt to cover their rear ends, but we have yet to be told what was the Probable Cause presented?

Since my phone/internet data was part of this illegal surveillance I asked my provider, Verizon, how they got a warrant and what was the probable cause in my case, to 'collect and store my data/effects. They denied doing it.

The President took an oath of office, to defend and protect the US Constitution. Not foreigners or anyone or anything else. It's pretty simple, all he needs is a copy of the Constitution and of his oath of office, and it all becomes pretty simple.

When are we going to see investigations of those who lied to Congress, of those who violated the Constitution?

[NM_Birder]

3. "Most Transparent Administration"

BS. Add up all the X's and O's.............Obama has done nothing to curb the policies Bush put in place. They have been expanded, refined, enhanced and magnified.....even some of our closest allies are in public condemning our spying on them, the American people are under a greater level of surveillance now than ever before.


NSA spying programs running wild.........another empty promise ......... enact "guidelines" for programs that "don't exist to spy on Americans". that is code for "piss off, the program stays" HOPE AND CHANGE BABY !