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                Discussion on US Domestic Surveillance Continues

   by Michael Bowman

   Top U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials say the
   government's vast domestic data collection activities do not infringe
   on citizens' privacy but do help identify and defeat terrorist
   threats.  Officials testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee
   hours after the Obama administration released documents detailing
   telephone data collection programs exposed by former intelligence
   contractor Edward Snowden.
   Revelations that the U.S. government collects telephone records have
   unnerved many Americans, according to committee chairman Patrick Leahy.
   "I think the patience of the American people is beginning to wear thin.
   But what has to be of more concern in a democracy is the trust of the
   American people is wearing thin," he said.
   Wednesday, the Obama administration released previously-classified
   documents on the extent and limitations of federal telephone snooping.
   "These are telephone records maintained by the phone companies. They
   include the number the call was dialed from, the number the call was
   dialed to, the date and time of the call and the length of the call,"
   said Deputy Attorney General James Cole. "The records do not include
   the names or other identifying information. They do not include cell
   site [cellular telephone location] or other location information, and
   they do not include the content of any phone calls."
   Actual monitoring of phone calls requires special court authorization.
   Overall, data collection has helped defeat terrorists, according to
   National Security Agency Deputy Director John Inglis.
   "There were 54 plots that were disrupted over the life of these two
   programs," he said.
   The House of Representatives recently voted down a proposal to limit
   telephone data collection.  Similarly, senators showed no inclination
   to terminate the programs - but did express dismay over the lack of
   voluntary public disclosure.
   "We have a lot of good information out there that helps the American
   public understand these programs," said Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.
   "But it all came out late.  It all came out in response to a leaker
   [Edward Snowden]. There was no organized plan for how we rationally
   declassify this so that the American people can participate in the
   debate."
   Vast data collection has a chilling effect on freedom, according to
   Jameel Jaffer of the American Civil Liberties Union.
   "People who know the government could be monitoring their every move,
   their every phone call, or their every Google search will comport
   themselves differently.  They will hesitate before visiting
   controversial websites.  They will hesitate before joining
   controversial advocacy groups.  They will hesitate before exercising
   rights that the Constitution guarantees," he said.
   Not so, says Robert Litt, general counsel in the office of the Director
   of National Intelligence.
   "Collection of this kind of telephone meta-data from the telephone
   companies is not a violation of anyone's constitutional rights," he
   said.
   Litt said that disclosure of the programs has damaged the government's
   ability to protect the nation.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/discussion-on-us-domestic-surveillance-continues/1714189.html