[liberationtech] CRS on NSA Surveillance Leaks

[Gregory Foster]

Congressional Research Service (Jul 2) - "NSA Surveillance Leaks: 
Background and Issues for Congress":
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/R43134.pdf

 From the Introduction:
> Recent media stories about National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance 
> address unauthorized
> disclosures of two different intelligence collection programs. These 
> programs arise from
> provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). 
> However, they rely on separate
> authorities, collect different types of information, and raise 
> different policy questions. As such,
> where possible, the information contained in this report distinguishes 
> between the two. For both
> programs, there is a tension between the speed and convenience with 
> which the government can
> access data of possible intelligence value and the mechanisms intended 
> to safeguard civil
> liberties. The first program collects and stores in bulk domestic 
> phone records that some argue
> could be gathered to equal effect through more focused records 
> requests. The second program
> targets the electronic communications of non-U.S. citizens but may 
> incidentally collect
> information about Americans.
>
> The following sections address (1) what information is being 
> collected; (2) the legal basis for the
> collection; (3) existing oversight mechanisms; and (4) arguments for 
> and against the two
> programs. The last section of this report discusses legislation that 
> has been proposed in response
> to information disclosed about NSA surveillance. Because documents 
> leaked to the news media
> may be classified, CRS is precluded from providing a detailed analysis 
> of the content of those
> documents. The information in this report is based largely on public 
> comments from intelligence
> officials and Members of Congress.

via @saftergood
http://blogs.fas.org/secrecy/2013/07/nsa-surv/

gf

-- 
Gregory Foster || gfoster at entersection.org
@gregoryfoster <> http://entersection.com/