Greenwald says 'low-level' NSA workers can tap into phone, Internet records

[Jango]

The journalist who has published a string of reports based on documents from National Security Agency leaker Ed Snowden claims he has evidence that "low-level" analysts have easy access to a database that lets them browse the phone, email and Internet histories of anyone.

The Guardian's Glenn Greenwald, who is scheduled to speak before a bipartisan congressional group on Wednesday, said he plans to publish a report on the latest findings later this week.

Though some top officials have denied the NSA offers this kind of access to its workers, Greenwald said that's not true. In an interview on ABC News' "This Week," Greenwald said "low-level" employees as well as contractors like Snowden can dip into a vast system of information on peoples' communications.

He likened the database to a supermarket cash register.

"The NSA has trillions of telephone calls and emails in their databases that they have collected over the last several years," he said. "And what these programs are, are very simple screens like the ones that supermarket clerks or shipping and receiving clerks use where all an analyst has to do is enter an email address or an IP address and it does two things -- it searches that database and let's them listen to the calls or read the emails of everything that the NSA has stored, or look at the browsing histories or Google search terms that you've entered."

Greenwald says 'low-level' NSA workers can tap into phone, Internet records | Fox News

So how do you feel about this? Do you think that this dragnet that ensnares us all is necessary and just? How about Constitutional? Does it make you feel safer? What is the natural progression from here?

 

[OldWorldOrder]

It's not really true. It's like saying anyone can steal something from a store. Sure, you can do it, but you're gonna get in trouble.

 

[Thoreau72]

This does not surprise me. Snowden alluded to that in his first interview with Greenwald.

As John Oliver said on the Daily Show: Good news--you were NOT paraoid. :2razz:

 

[Helix]

Greenwald says 'low-level' NSA workers can tap into phone, Internet records | Fox News

So how do you feel about this? Do you think that this dragnet that ensnares us all is necessary and just? How about Constitutional? Does it make you feel safer? What is the natural progression from here?

1. it's absolutely unacceptable.

2. the writer of the story actually added an apostrophe to "lets."

it searches that database and let's them listen to the calls

IM A PERFESSIONAL JERNALI'ST I AM.

:lol:

 

[penn1954]

Greenwald says 'low-level' NSA workers can tap into phone, Internet records | Fox News

So how do you feel about this? Do you think that this dragnet that ensnares us all is necessary and just? How about Constitutional? Does it make you feel safer? What is the natural progression from here?

It sucks!!It isn't neccessary or IMO Constitutional!

I'm no safer and we're getting closer & closer to 1984 the book!!!

 

[Geoist]

Greenwald says 'low-level' NSA workers can tap into phone, Internet records | Fox News

So how do you feel about this? Do you think that this dragnet that ensnares us all is necessary and just? How about Constitutional? Does it make you feel safer? What is the natural progression from here?

So, why exactly do we have a 4th amendment then? :doh

 

[Jango]

So, why exactly do we have a 4th amendment then? :doh

Apparently it used to mean something but nowadays it is just words on paper.

 

[Jango]

It sucks!!It isn't neccessary or IMO Constitutional!

I'm no safer and we're getting closer & closer to 1984 the book!!!

I think 1984 is an apt comparison to what we're facing when you take in the totality of, well, controversial things stacked against us and consider the natural progression of these pressures upon our society. Instead of flying to a bright horizon we're marching further and further into the abyss.

 

[Thoreau72]

So, why exactly do we have a 4th amendment then? :doh

It allows the school authorities to conduct a class about it. It's a teaching aid, not a principle of governance.

 

[OldWorldOrder]

Weird how actual legal experts disagree with you guys. Almost like it isn't at all cut-and-dried like you guys would like to think it was. Hmmm.

 

[tererun]

Greenwald says 'low-level' NSA workers can tap into phone, Internet records | Fox News

So how do you feel about this? Do you think that this dragnet that ensnares us all is necessary and just? How about Constitutional? Does it make you feel safer? What is the natural progression from here?

It is wrong. It is well beyond the bounds of the constitution and even the unconstitutional patriot act. I never felt at risk from terrorists, even having lived within distance to see the smoke from the trade centers. The natural progression is the power structure will seek to defend their new powers and given they seem to have written judicial review out of the picture it will only get worse. The people should fight it but probably won't because it will not be seen to effect them if the government knows they look at a lot of porn. Any instances where people get wrongly harmed by this BS will be considered by most to not be dangerous to them because they will feel they are unlikely to ever get on the government's bad side, and things will get worse because people will not push back strongly enough.

Let us hope i am wrong about that last part.

 

[SMTA]

It's not really true. It's like saying anyone can steal something from a store. Sure, you can do it, but you're gonna get in trouble.

Prove it is not true.

 

[OldWorldOrder]

Prove it is not true.

Did you just ask me to prove a negative?

I've worked in signals collection for many years. I know all about it. Think I'm lying; I don't care, you're not a senator or anything. Intelligence oversight is a very real thing.

 

[SMTA]

Did you just ask me to prove a negative?

I've worked in signals collection for many years. I know all about it. Think I'm lying; I don't care, you're not a senator or anything. Intelligence oversight is a very real thing.

That's just what I figured - nothing but smoke.

 

[OldWorldOrder]

That's just what I figured - nothing but smoke.

lol, right

 

[SMTA]

lol, right

No, seriously - can it be done or not?

You indicated that it was not possible - the OP said that it could.

Where is the reality in all of this?

I see the answer as one of these options:

1) Snooping is that easy

2) Snooping is very difficult

3) Yea, it is easy, and should require a warrant, but many just don't worry about the warrant

4) Yes, snooping is easy, does require a warrant, and agencies usually always follow the law

Which one is it?

 

[OldWorldOrder]

No, seriously - can it be done or not?

You indicated that it was not possible - the OP said that it could.

Where is the reality in all of this?

I see the answer as one of these options:

1) Snooping is that easy

2) Snooping is very difficult

3) Yea, it is easy, and should require a warrant, but many just don't worry about the warrant

4) Yes, snooping is easy, does require a warrant, and agencies usually always follow the law

Which one is it?

It's technically very easy, but very difficult practically. You can push a button and monitor someone, yes. Then, when it comes time to audit things, a week later, you need now justify that. Analysts don't decide who to monitor, they are told. So when an analyst that just decided to monitor someone is found to have been not given direction to do so is found out, it's very bad.

Believe me or not. It changes nothing.

 

[Thoreau72]

Wow, imagine if one's supervisor, or the person doing the "auditing" were Eric Holder or Dick Cheney. Smooth sailing, eh?

 

[SMTA]

It's technically very easy, but very difficult practically. You can push a button and monitor someone, yes. Then, when it comes time to audit things, a week later, you need now justify that. Analysts don't decide who to monitor, they are told. So when an analyst that just decided to monitor someone is found to have been not given direction to do so is found out, it's very bad.

Believe me or not. It changes nothing.

It seems that Snowden was able to avoid a Hell of a lot of in controls in his 2 month tenure @ the NSA.

My impression is that controls were lax or non-existent throughout the NSA.

 

[Jack Fabulous]

Greenwald says 'low-level' NSA workers can tap into phone, Internet records | Fox News

So how do you feel about this? Do you think that this dragnet that ensnares us all is necessary and just? How about Constitutional? Does it make you feel safer? What is the natural progression from here?

Winner, winner! Chicken dinner!

I've been trying to get this point across to everyone I can since the NSA story first broke. The most frightening part of all of this isn't what they are doing now, it's where it is headed. There are people, right at this very moment, who are working on technologies that will make what they are using today seem like wagon wheels and sun dials. Surveillance technology that was developed, and is in a constant state of further development, will some day be fine tuned enough to use on a macro scale. There will be, literally, a "live eye in the sky" recording every movement made by every living creature on earth at some point in the not to distant future. Ever use google earth? Add a few more pixels of resolution and facial recognition to it and walla! They can track you from the day you're born and have a database of every place you've ever been.

We're practically there already but there are people that don't have a problem with data mining? Really?

 

[OldWorldOrder]

It seems that Snowden was able to avoid a Hell of a lot of in controls in his 2 month tenure @ the NSA.

Like...what?

My impression is that controls were lax or non-existent throughout the NSA.

Why?

 

[OldWorldOrder]

winner, winner! Chicken dinner!

I've been trying to get this point across to everyone i can since the nsa story first broke. The most frightening part of all of this isn't what they are doing now, it's where it is headed. There are people, right at this very moment, who are working on technologies that will make what they are using today seem like wagon wheels and sun dials. Surveillance technology that was developed, and is in a constant state of further development, will some day be fine tuned enough to use on a macro scale. There will be, literally, a "live eye in the sky" recording every movement made by every living creature on earth at some point in the not to distant future. Ever use google earth? Add a few more pixels of resolution and facial recognition to it and walla! They can track you from the day you're born and have a database of every place you've ever been.

We're practically there already but there are people that don't have a problem with data mining? Really?

walla!

 

[SMTA]

Like...what?



Why?

Given the fact that he seems to have scurried away with a boatload of high level information after a 2 month tenure, that's why.

 

[OldWorldOrder]

Given the fact that he seems to have scurried away with a boatload of high level information after a 2 month tenure, that's why.

Huh? Those controls have nothing to do with him. He was never able to target anyone. He was a ****ing computer guy lol. All he knew was that the program existed. He wasn't an analyst- certainly not a collector- nor was he an administrator of either. He wasn't important. He might as well have been a cook.

He has nothing to do with controls.

 

[Jango]

Did you just ask me to prove a negative?

I've worked in signals collection for many years. I know all about it. Think I'm lying; I don't care, you're not a senator or anything. Intelligence oversight is a very real thing.

Shilling for the good ole N.S.A. again, I see.