ACLU on the Hill: NSA Surveillance "Intrusive and Unconstitutional"

[NYC_SKP]

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ACLU on the Hill: NSA Surveillance "Intrusive and Unconstitutional"
By Jameel Jaffer, Deputy Legal Director, ACLU at 11:28am

This morning, I am testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on why the recently revealed NSA spying programs are unconstitutional and what Congress can do to rein in these unlawful and intrusive programs. Read my opening statement below. You can watch it here, and click here for the full testimony.

Introductory Statement of Jameel Jaffer
House Judiciary Committee
Oversight Hearing on the Administration's Use of FISA Authorities
July 17, 2013

On behalf of the ACLU, thank you for the invitation to testify before the Committee.

Over the last six weeks it has become clear that the NSA is engaged in far-reaching, intrusive, and unconstitutional surveillance of Americans' communications.

Under Section 215 of the Patriot Act, the NSA is tracking every single phone call made by a resident of the United States—who they called, when they called them, for how long they spoke. Until recently it was tracking ordinary Americans' Internet activity as well.
Under Section 702 of FISA, and on the pretext of monitoring people outside the United States, the NSA is using Section 702 of FISA to build massive databases of Americans' domestic and international communications—not just so-called metadata, but content as well.

These programs have been made possible by huge advances in the technology of surveillance, but in many respects they resemble the generalized surveillance programs that led to the adoption of the Fourth Amendment more than two hundred years ago. The FISA court orders resemble general warrants, albeit general warrants for the digital age.

>>>more at the link>>>

http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/aclu-hill-nsa-surveillance-intrusive-and-unconstitutional

For more on ACLU action on NSA surveillance:http://www.aclu.org/nsa-surveillance

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[Warren Stupidity]

1. Perhaps the ACLU will get thrown under Elon Musk's Hyperloop transit system.

There just isn't a bus big enough anymore.

[Laelth]

2. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[NYC_SKP]

3. Thanks, I hope to post more from the ACLU...

[William deB. Mills]

4. Secrecy to Protect Abuses of Power

As the ACLU says, "American democracy has a disease, and it’s called secrecy."

The real concern is not so much what various Government officials are doing as it is the fact that they can rely to protect themselves on a pattern of being granted the power to commit their misdeeds by other Government officials working in secret. The fundamental sin of Washington since 9/11 is the arrogant attitude that officialdom now has the right to make new law out of whole cloth behind closed doors--doors slammed shut to protect its abuses from the American people. This explains the horror with which these officials view the whistleblowers who try to open those doors.

Officials who know they are abusing their power fear nothing more than exposure. So now we are reaching the point that officials are starting to label as "terrorism" any action by a patriotic American to tell the American people what their own government is doing. Understand the mentality of these officials. In truth, they are terrified - terrified that they will be held accountable for things that they knew were improper.

Why else would they hide behind closed doors to give each other brand new powers?

If they believe that they truly are doing something necessary to protect the American people, then why are they not bragging about their behavior?

[NYC_SKP]

5. I think we reached a tipping point several administrations ago.

I don't know when. The 40's, 50's, or 60's? Or was it more recent than that?

[William deB. Mills]

6. The Slippery Slope of Undermining Constitutional Rights

Here's a well-written summary of what the Neo-Cons started with their misnamed "Patriot" Act and what Obama has so shamelessly promoted: http://reason.com/archives/2013/08/08/domestic-spying-is-dangerous-to-freedom.

Remember: it is less "what" they are doing than the dishonest way in which they are doing it, because their secrecy sets us up for inevitable abuses in the future by some even more irresponsible leader.