Read the original Verizon/NSA Top Secret Court order in full:

[Douglas Carpenter]

Read the original Verizon Court order in full:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2013/jun/06/verizon-telephone-data-court-order

The National Security Agency is currently collecting the telephone records of millions of US customers of Verizon, one of America's largest telecoms providers, under a top secret court order issued in April.

The order, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, requires Verizon on an "ongoing, daily basis" to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its systems, both within the US and between the US and other countries.The document shows for the first time that under the Obama administration the communication records of millions of US citizens are being collected indiscriminately and in bulk – regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing.

The secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Fisa) granted the order to the FBI on April 25, giving the government unlimited authority to obtain the data for a specified three-month period ending on July 19. Under the terms of the blanket order, the numbers of both parties on a call are handed over, as is location data, call duration, unique identifiers, and the time and duration of all calls. The contents of the conversation itself are not covered.

The court order expressly bars Verizon from disclosing to the public either the existence of the FBI's request for its customers' records, or the court order itself. The order, signed by Judge Roger Vinson, compels Verizon to produce to the NSA electronic copies of "all call detail records or 'telephony metadata' created by Verizon for communications between the United States and abroad" or "wholly within the United States, including local telephone calls".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/06/nsa-phone-records-verizon-court-order


Read the original Verizon Court order in full:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2013/jun/06/verizon-telephone-data-court-order

.

[kentuck]

1. "wholly with the United States, including local telephone calls."

Is that new?

[Douglas Carpenter]

2. since there is no other documentation specifically to answer that question - I don't know that

anyone can say for sure

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. one kick

[cali]

4. thank you for posting this.

[DCBob]

5. "all call detail records or 'telephony metadata' "

This is the same stuff that is found in your phone bill every month. Who cares?

[Douglas Carpenter]

6. centralized into government records along with endles other data - I think it is a concern

[DCBob]

7. what "endless other data"?

[Douglas Carpenter]

8. I think you are missing the big picture

when we have centralized capabilities and courts willing to extend rather all encompassing warrants in an age of extremely sophisticated technology - the NSA now can operate in a world where an extensive profile around anyone is simply waiting to be draw up at any moment. Is this being done right now to that extent? We don't know. But with an every expanding Intelligence Industrial Complex - and the political and judicial willingness to do so - there can be no doubt that this is the direction we are heading. I don't think this is the personal fault of Barack Obama any more than the Vietnam War was the personal fault LBJ. But this is the fault of a bipartisan consensus resulting in ever expanding technological resources and the lack of political and judicial restraint. This is a very dangerous road we are on. Whatever Snowden's motivation - this story has at least created some political will to reappraise the situation and to examine the direction we are heading.

[DCBob]

9. I am willing to accept the possibility we are heading too far in that direction.

It is troubling.. no doubt. I think there needs to be a national dialogue with congress holding more hearings. But this shouldn't be witch hunt to nail people in the NSA or FBI or Obama admin. I do believe they thought what they were doing was necessary for the good of the country and doing it in a legal manner. If we as Americans don't want this and are willing to sacrifice some security for privacy then lets change the laws.

[HiPointDem]

11. i do.

[Douglas Carpenter]

10. another kick

[markpkessinger]

12. So, if this program is as benign as some would have us believe . . .

. . . why does the Order prohibit even the disclosure of either the order, or the fact that the NSA or FBI has requested the information? I mean, former counter-terrorism Richard Clarke pointed out a week or two ago that any would-be terrorists already assume stuff like this is going on, so the argument that the secrecy was necessary so as not to tip off such would be terrorists is simply not plausible. Gee, do you it could be because -- oh, I don't know -- because the government knew damned well people would be outraged if they knew what was really going on?

[Douglas Carpenter]

13. another kick