SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
C.I.A. Is Collecting in Bulk Certain Data Affecting Americans, Senators Warn
The Central Intelligence Agency has for years been collecting in bulk, without a warrant, some kind of data that can affect Americans' privacy, according to a newly declassified letter by two senators.
The C.I.A. kept censored the nature of the data when it declassified the letter. At the same time, it declared that a report about the same topic, which had prompted the letter, must remain fully classified, except for some heavily redacted recommendations.
That report, called "Deep Dive II," was part of a set of studies by a watchdog board scrutinizing intelligence community operations under Executive Order 12333, rules for intelligence activities that Congress has left unregulated by statute. The watchdog, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, and its staff members have access to classified information.
In March 2021, the Senate Intelligence Committee received a copy of the report. In a letter the next month, two Democrats on the panel, Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, urged Avril D. Haines, the director of national intelligence, and William J. Burns, the C.I.A. director, to declassify the activity and any internal rules about querying the data for information about Americans.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 14 2022, @03:08AM (7 children)
How can we have a democracy accountable to the people if the govt doesn't have to tell the people what it is doing? This is simply an empire.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 14 2022, @04:04AM (2 children)
Nice article in the paper today which mentions that Ms. Haines is cooperating with the Biden administration--releasing publicly many details of the Russian aggression and buildup around Ukraine. While careful to protect sources, the US spooks have (apparently) blown the cover of a lot of what the Russians have put in place and are planning.
(Score: 0, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 14 2022, @05:10AM (1 child)
What bullshit! You believe those claims with zero evidence? Let me guess, you thought Iraq had WMDs and that imported terrorists were fighting for freedom in Syria?
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 14 2022, @11:09AM
He believes that Ari was doxxing and sockpuppeting, and getting ready to invade. It's all part of a mindset.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 14 2022, @04:08AM
How is this labelled 'Flaimbait'? The entire point of freedom of the press and whistle-blower protection laws is so that people like Snowden can expose the crimes of those in power so they can be held accountable. That obviously isn't happening, so one of the most critical checks and balances of democracy has clearly been subverted.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 14 2022, @10:01PM (2 children)
And you pay for it, and they represent your country internationally. I find it amusing how Americans discuss them as if they were some external entity they have no power over.
You do, you are just not exercising it.
Also, how in most movies/tv shows they are portrayed as the bad guys - so it seems to be part of the collective conciousness.
So yeah. Perhaps you guys need to have a discussion about this?
Good luck....
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday February 14 2022, @11:16PM (1 child)
Ha ha ha. You think normal people have any say about what TLAs do? They are legally impossible to hold accountable. The only time we have a say will be when the guillotines come out.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 18 2022, @03:54AM
Not insightful at all.
My point was you COULD.
The fact you don't is a failure of the democratic will of the people.