Independent review board says NSA phone data program is illegal and should end

[kentuck]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/independent-review-board-says-nsa-phone-data-program-is-illegal-and-should-end/2014/01/22/4cebd470-83dd-11e3-bbe5-6a2a3141e3a9_story.html

<snip>

An independent executive branch board has concluded that the National Security Agency’s long-running program to collect billions of Americans’ phone records is illegal and should end.

In a strongly worded report to be issued Thursday, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) said that the statute upon which the program was based, Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act, “does not provide an adequate basis to support this program.”

<snip>
The divided panel also concluded that the program raises serious threats to civil liberties, has shown limited value in countering terrorism and is not sustainable from a policy perspective.

“We have not identified a single instance involving a threat to the United States in which the telephone records program made a concrete difference in the outcome of a counterterrorism investigation,” said the report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post. “Moreover, we are aware of no instance in which the program directly contributed to the discovery of a previously unknown terrorist plot or the disruption of a terrorist attack.”

.........more

[sabrina 1]

1. It's really great to see finally, more and more pushback against these increasing abuses

of our Constitutional rights. I hope it isn't too late.

[ReasonableToo]

2. It SHOULD be so easy to get the full 99% on board with raising hell over all this spying...

Imagine the police run your vehicle tags as you are driving on the highway and they get a list of all the groups you contribute to, all the forums you participate in, all the clubs you belong to, etc. Depending on how they feel about your online activities and other associations, they decide if they are going to pull you over or let you go.

Tea Partiers don't want to be singled out for their views.

Environmental activists don't want to be singled out for their views.

Anti-war protestors don't wan to be singled out for their views.

Occupiers don't want to be singled out for their views.

NRA members don't want to be singled out for their views.

Religious fundamentalists don't want to be singled out for their views.

Anti-choice fanatics don't want to be singled out for their views.

1%-ers don't want big brother to monkey around their insider trading schemes by doing a little "outsider trading"

Why is it so hard to get a coalition together?

(Ditto for net neutrality - another 99% issue.)

[Wilms]

3. ^

[Fumesucker]

4. With luck there will be enough room under the bus for the entire board n/t

[Octafish]

5. Gen. Alexander's not going to like this.

Better check the files and see the pornoscope turns up.