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posted by Fnord666 on Thursday September 28 2017, @12:43PM   Printer-friendly
from the no-such-agency dept.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-25/nsa-targeted-106-000-foreigners-in-spy-program-up-for-renewal

The U.S. National Security Agency conducted targeted surveillance over the past year against 106,000 foreigners suspected of being involved in terrorism and other crimes, using powers granted in a controversial section of law that's set to expire at the end of this year.

The number of foreigners targeted under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act rose from 94,000 in fiscal year 2015, according to U.S. intelligence officials, who asked not to be identified discussing the information. The program lets agencies collect the content of emails and other communications from suspected foreign criminals operating outside the U.S., but it has become a flash point with some lawmakers for potential infringement of Americans' constitutional rights.

Congress has to decide by year-end whether to renew the NSA's power under Section 702, a program that came to light when former government contractor Edward Snowden revealed classified government documents in 2013. While the intelligence officials cautioned that changes would limit its effectiveness, lawmakers including Senate Intelligence Committee member Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, have indicated they'll seek adjustments to ensure against abuses.


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  • (Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 28 2017, @07:32PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 28 2017, @07:32PM (#574498)

    No. There's a difference between targeting specific foreigners which they can prove did something wrong/are a target of actual value and just conducting mass surveillance on people (which includes foreigners and US citizens). They are doing the latter, and that is wrong.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 28 2017, @10:37PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 28 2017, @10:37PM (#574565)

    This is what we pay them to do.

    It seems some people can't handle the harsh reality of the world. Nations brutally compete. Tools include legal action, bombs, mass immigration into a foe, currency manipulation, intellectual property theft... anything goes. It is better to win than to lose.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 29 2017, @05:43AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 29 2017, @05:43AM (#574684)

      This is what we pay them to do.

      No, we don't pay them to conduct unconstitutional mass surveillance on the populace, since that violates the highest law of the land and basic ethics. You realize that, given the nature of the Internet, mass surveillance will inevitably mean that actual citizens' communications will be unconstitutionally collected as well, right? This is partly why mass surveillance should not exist at all, even if you're xenophobic and don't care about the privacy of foreigners.

      Nations brutally compete.

      I'd rather our government follow the Constitution than 'win'. Although that kind of 'winning' is not really winning, since violating people's freedoms means you automatically lose.