NSA has massive database of tens of millions of Americans' phone calls

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA

The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.

The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren't suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews.

"It's the largest database ever assembled in the world," said one person, who, like the others who agreed to talk about the NSA's activities, declined to be identified by name or affiliation. The agency's goal is "to create a database of every call ever made" within the nation's borders, this person added.

For the customers of these companies, it means that the government has detailed records of calls they made — across town or across the country — to family members, co-workers, business contacts and others.

[treestar]

1. What could they possibly need that for?

[Kagemusha]

3. To feed it into computers that'll tell us who the terrorists are.

This was to be a feature of the so-called Total Information Awareness project. Supposedly 1.2 billion dollars have been spent on an NSA program that would process precisely this sort of data called um, Trailblazer or something, I saw a report on this today. Supposedly this $1.2 bil has been spent without a workable final product being ready today, nor likely to be ready for years.

[treestar]

8. Like some sort of profile? Like they could look at what you

charged on credit cards for patterns that they could recognize as those of people likely to be involved in terrorism?

Yeah, always sounded like a recipe for harassment to me. But the sheeple, they have nothing to hide.

[madeline_con]

4. Intimidation. n/t

[raggedcompany]

18. Ding, ding, ding!

They can't possibly review all that info, not even with all their fancy computers. The point is to send a message to the likes of us that dissent is being watched. Why do they want us to know we're being watched? Because they think is it will take the wind out of our sails.

They are mistaken. Let my file grow fatter and fatter, I'm not shutting up and I'm not stopping.

[No New War]

2. Dear god

:wtf: :argh: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared:

[madeline_con]

5. A Newbie! Welcome!

:hi:

[Sinti]

7. Welcome to DU No New War n/t

[NanceGreggs]

9. Check out the newbie's work ...

... no-new-war posted on a thread last night (scroll down) - it's really fantastic, IMHO!


Sorry: edited to include link (DUH!!!!) http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1136477

(Shouldn't they be called DU-bies?)

[me b zola]

14. I love it! DU-bies it is!!! n/t

[Sinti]

6. They have computers that can listen for patterns of words

Correlate who is called from whom... and who the called person calls, in turn. They are looking for
terrorists; like these nuns http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0208-09.htm and insurgency, which apparently they found in the CIA http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/10/5/113859.shtml :eyes:

[NanceGreggs]

15. Do you think they're on to the pattern yet ...

... of Bushisaf*ckinglyingassholewhowouldsellhisownsoulformoney yet?

'Cause if they are, I might be going to Gitmo.

[emulatorloo]

10. kick and nominating n/t

[alfredo]

11. Pass this far and wide.

[dailykoff]

12. I feel safer already

knowing my phone calls are being monitored by wingnuts.

[seabeyond]

13. Project Echelon has been around since the 90's. *is this what it is

and is this true.....

cause i just put this on a board where repugs will shread me if this story isnt anything

[OneBlueSky]

16. the only question that comes to mind is "Why?" . . .

particularly in these days of scare resources, why in the world are they spending money to compile such a huge data base of essentially useless information . . .

"He's tellin' me more and more
About some useless information
Supposed to fire my imagination"

[Leopolds Ghost]

17. Public witness program look but don't touch!

Public witness says he's seeing too much / go see it, go see it tonight
I'll be listening 'cause I wantcha to die... alright!

The eyes have it and the eyes always will /
the eyes have it and they're watching you still...

[Hubert Flottz]

19. No wonder the GOPers are getting rich on Wall Street!

Probably why so much airline stock was dumped the days before 9/11...

[Buns_of_Fire]

20. So all of us who've been ordering the "special"

from Ben Laden's Pizzeria in Whatahomie, Michigan -- well, we're kinda screwed...

[bear425]

21. But, will Americans care this time? k/r n/t