By now, I’m sure you’ve heard about this supposed scandal of the National Security Agency receiving telephone records from the big three telephone companies since 9/11. Best of the Web Today says that there’s less there than meets the eye. For one thing, the The New York Times first reported on this last Christmas Eve.
But let’s get straight what is actually happening. The telephone companies were turning over phone records, i.e. lists of telephone numbers called, while withholding names, addresses, and customer data. Of course, there’s nothing nefarious about that in itself. Phone companies mine that data for marketing purposes already. In fact, according to “Best of the Web Today,” the Supreme Court ruled in 1979 that law enforcement agencies don’t even need a warrant to get that information.
You too can have Spy Agency powers!
Technorati Tags: NSA, politics, spying, telephone records
Actually, Ray, they’re not even doing that. All that they were doing was looking at what phone numbers were calling other phone numbers and seeking to determine patterns. They weren’t listening to the content of the conversations.
I have no problem with this. I expect the US government to take precautions to protect me and my family.
I know they don’t care what I say to my friends and relatives on the phone. They’d be bored to death, frankly, because I’m not doing anything unusual or calling anywhere unusual. Rather it’s just normal domestic relative-type stuff…. And I’m sure they’re filtering that out.
But they should catch the unusual stuff or weird connections. I expect them to.