Skip to main content

NSA phone metadata collection illegal, ineffective, government watchdog finds

nsa phone metadata collection watchdog hack
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Things keep looking worse for the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of Americans’ telephone metadata, a program found this week to be illegal and ineffective by an independent government watchdog group. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, which Congress made independent in 2007, says the program should simply end.

In a 238-page report due for release Thursday, but leaked early to The New York Times and Washington Post, found that the NSA phone metadata collection, which operates under Section 215 of the Patriot Act and was unveiled in documents leaked by former NSA employee Edward Snowden, “lacks a viable legal foundation under Section 215, implicates constitutional concerns under the First and Fourth Amendments, raises serious threats to privacy and civil liberties as a policy matter, and has shown only limited value,” the report reads.

Recommended Videos

“As a result, the board recommends that the government end the program.”

According to the Post, the report goes on to admonish claims that the metadata collection has substantially reduced threats of terrorism.

“We have not identified a single instance involving a threat to the United States in which the telephone records program made a concrete difference in the outcome of a counterterrorism investigation,” the report reads. “Moreover, we are aware of no instance in which the program directly contributed to the discovery of a previously unknown terrorist plot or the disruption of a terrorist attack.”

The board’s finding of unconstitutionality and the lack of evidence that the Section 215 phone surveillance program effectively reduces terrorism echoes a recent ruling by a federal judge, who deemed the program “likely unconstitutional,” and found an “utter lack of evidence that a terrorist attack has ever been prevented because searching the NSA database was faster than other investigative tactics.”

The privacy board’s scathing assessment of the program comes during the same week as a major speech by President Barack Obama, who promised to “end the Section 215 bulk metadata program as it currently exists,” while voicing support for the program and the NSA employees who administer it. The president issued a directive to reduce the number of “jumps” from a terrorist target’s number to other phone numbers during “queries” of the metadata database from three to two. He has also begun investigating ways to effectively hand over phone metadata collection and storage away from the NSA and to a third party, though this transition has not yet taken place.

We will update this space with the text of the report when it becomes public.

Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
The Pixel Watch is about to get a long-awaited software update
The Google Pixel Watch 3 lying on top of a plant.

For the most part, Google has issued an update to the Pixel Watch roughly once a month. Most were simple security updates, while others included new features and OS upgrades. Fans expected an update in October, but Google delayed it until this month. This update will resume the rollout of Wear OS 5 to Pixel Watch 1 and Pixel Watch 2 users after a series of crashes caused Google to pause it back in September. After several months of work, the company has addressed the cause of the crashes and is confident that yesterday's update will be stable.

In addition to Wear OS 5, the update will also include better camera controls and changes to the Pixel Recorder app, which will be available through the Play Store. Your individual watch will notify you when the update is available for download, so you don't have to constantly check for it. The first update for the Pixel Watch 3 since its launch is also coming with bug fixes and security updates. All Pixel Watch models will eventually update to version AW2A.241105.012, although when the update happens will depend on both the carrier and the device.

Read more
I wore two of 2024’s best smart rings. This is the one you should buy
A person holding the Oura Ring 4 and the RingConn Gen 2.

Now that the Oura Ring 4 is here, how does it stack up against the RingConn Gen 2? I’ve had both smart rings on for several weeks to help understand where each ring's strengths lie and which is the best to buy.

It's easy to think it all comes down to the price and whether you want to pay a subscription or not, but by wearing these smart rings, understanding the design differences, and testing out the very different apps each day, I can give you a much deeper insight into the best one to wear over the long term.
Is the Oura Ring 4 or the RingConn Gen 2 more comfortable?
The RingConn Gen 2 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Read more
These ESR Gear mobile accessory deals are Apple-tastic — Save over 50% off
ESR Gear mobile accessory deals -- MagSafe 3-in-1 charger with devices

Shiny new phone? Preparing to get one soon? Congratulations, that's always a great feeling, isn't it? The dopamine hit of the mobile upgrade. But now it's time to start thinking about some smarter more efficient ways to use that device, even if it's not new. That's where mobile accessories come into the equation. From stands to car mounts and portable power packs, they extend the functionality and usability of your favorite and beloved smartphone. Chief among the phone gear options is ESR Gear with its excellent selection of MagSafe accessories. Need an example? Look no further than the ESR 3-in-1 MagSafe Charger with Qi2 wireless charging and CryoBoost cooling technology. It can charge the iPhone 16 and Apple Watch, fast.

But here's the thing: You came here under the guise that there were some great deals to be had, and I don't blame you, so let's get right into those. You can expect to save upwards of 30% off some of ESR Gear's best MagSafe options. They're already discounted, plus there are exclusive coupon codes to get an extra 10% off. All coupon codes are valid until December 25th.

Read more