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View Full Version : US Senate passes bill renewing NSA warrantless internet surveillance program



Aragorn
18th January 2018, 20:24
... And for our Acronymian members and readers, remember that these are the people you voted for, and whose job it supposedly is to look after you. And by the way, did you know that I have a beachfront property for sale up in the Himalayas? :rolleyes:






https://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20180118&t=2&i=1223097669&r=LYNXMPEE0H1K3&w=1200


Source: Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-surveillance/senate-passes-bill-renewing-internet-surveillance-program-idUSKBN1F72JX)



The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a bill to renew the National Security Agency’s warrantless internet surveillance program for six years with minimal changes, overcoming objections from civil liberties advocates that it undermined the privacy of Americans.

The legislation, which easily passed the House of Representatives last week, is expected to be signed into law by President Donald Trump by Friday.

Thursday’s 65-34 passage in the Senate was largely a foregone conclusion, after senators earlier this week cleared a 60-vote procedural hurdle, which split party lines and came within one vote of failing.

Passage of the legislation marked a disappointing end to a years-long effort by a coalition of liberal Democrats and libertarian-leaning Republicans to redefine the scope of U.S. intelligence collection following the 2013 disclosures of classified surveillance secrets by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

The bill reauthorizes what is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which gathers information from foreigners overseas but incidentally collects an unknown amount of communications belonging to Americans.

Under Section 702, the NSA is empowered to eavesdrop on vast amounts of digital communications via American companies like Facebook Inc (FB.O (https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=FB.O)), Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N (https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=VZ.N)) and Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O (https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GOOGL.O)) Google.

But the program also incidentally scoops up Americans’ communications, including when they communicate with a foreign target living overseas. Intelligence analysts can then search those messages without a warrant.

The White House, U.S. intelligence agencies and congressional Republican leaders said the program is indispensable to national security.

Opponents of the program said it allows the NSA and other intelligence agencies to grab data belonging to Americans in a way that represents an affront to the U.S. Constitution.

The bill passed by Congress does add a narrow warrant requirement for cases where the Federal Bureau of Investigation seeks emails related to an existing criminal investigation that has no relevance to national security. Privacy advocates said that essentially gave more protections to criminal suspects than ordinary Americans caught up in the program’s surveillance.


Source: Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-surveillance/senate-passes-bill-renewing-internet-surveillance-program-idUSKBN1F72JX)

Fred Steeves
18th January 2018, 23:41
Surprise of all surprises, that little tidbit wasn't mentioned on the evening news here in the States. More important things to cover I suppose.

Emil El Zapato
19th January 2018, 01:30
I can't honestly say this bill passing really upsets me but the party vote split was 42-9 Repubs / 18-29 Dumbocrats

Wind
19th January 2018, 11:34
Do not be fearful citizen, big brother is watching (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Information_Awareness) over your best interests like a watchful guardian.... You wouldn't want the terrorists to win, now would you?

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/IAO-logo.png

Gale Frierson
19th January 2018, 13:57
That's been a major problem with the very existence of such things all along. Government always gives the excuse "It's JUST security"!

Dreamtimer
19th January 2018, 16:00
We are appealed to via our desire for security, our worries for our children, and our health. We accept many things in the name of the aforementioned.

Dumpster Diver
19th January 2018, 18:08
I have a few sources reporting the NSA are now working for “the white hats”

...I guess we’ll see.

Fred Steeves
19th January 2018, 20:43
I have a few sources reporting the NSA are now working for “the white hats”

...I guess we’ll see.

The way it looks from my sources, this is the basic chronology:

- First are the mass arrests.

- Then the Men In Black flip to white hats.

- Followed by a live televised press conference of the world's top political leaders announcing Full Disclosure.

- And finally, the mass awakening, ushering humanity into the Age of Aquarius.

Come on everyone, sing it with me and the girls. Let your freak flags fly!


When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
Age of Aquarius
Aquarius
Aquarius

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFj09TEbXBw

Wind
19th January 2018, 22:27
I’d absolutely love to see that happening, but does it make me a pessimist or a realist when I don’t see it happening at all? The truth is that a small portion of humanity has awakened and slowly more people are awakening too, but it’s a very slow progress. It might take generations if not centuries to change the current paradigm and mindset of humanity. We are at the cusp of a new age though...

I want to add that I see changes happening on an individual level, but at a societal level? That’s another story. Division amongst the people is a sign of the times.

Fred Steeves
20th January 2018, 01:40
I’d absolutely love to see that happening, but does it make me a pessimist or a realist when I don’t see it happening at all?

Hey man my bad, sarcasm through and through on that post and I should know better after all these forum years...



I want to add that I see changes happening on an individual level, but at a societal level? That’s another story.

All sarcasm aside, that is where the real story is and you nailed it. The individual level.

Wind
20th January 2018, 02:17
Hey man my bad, sarcasm through and through on that post and I should know better after all these forum years...

No worries Fred, your reply to Dumpy actually made me laugh. It just got me pondering out loud again, can’t really help it! That’s the serious side of me.

You wouldn’t happen to have the same ”sources” as Wilcock does? :hilarious:

Dreamtimer
20th January 2018, 02:18
Good. Glad to hear that from both of you. It's happening on an individual level, that's where it's at, and we're in good shape.

Lemual
20th January 2018, 03:31
... And for our Acronymian members and readers, remember that these are the people you voted for, and whose job it supposedly is to look after you

I feel like it's quite a bit bigger than the US, especially considering the 5 Eyes nations.

Another point, even if the vote didn't pass does anyone actually think they'd stop spying?

Aragorn
20th January 2018, 03:46
I feel like it's quite a bit bigger than the US, especially considering the 5 Eyes nations.

Yes, the Five Eyes agreements, also known as Echelon or SIGINT ("signals intelligence").


Another point, even if the vote didn't pass does anyone actually think they'd stop spying?

No, I didn't think they would — it just so happens to be that it's a lot easier to get away with if they've got the legislative branch's green light.

But from what I've read on Slashdot earlier tonight, the vote was passed anyway. The Donald™ has just signed off on it.

Fred Steeves
20th January 2018, 11:30
Another point, even if the vote didn't pass does anyone actually think they'd stop spying?



No, I didn't think they would — it just so happens to be that it's a lot easier to get away with if they've got the legislative branch's green light.

I would put it in the same general category as these absurd government shutdowns that seem to roll around every year or two now. No one would ever dare lay a hand on the machine, just the hovering non essentials that basically only effect the working class. The bombs keep falling out of the sky, spying and subversion continue, etc.

If only the well dried up for paying cops to write petty traffic citations as well, ah, dream on.

Dreamtimer
20th January 2018, 11:33
That's funny Fred, in a sad way. My brother was telling me that they almost never pull people over in California (San Diego area) for speeding. He said there's just not enough cops. There're too many other traffic issues.'

My son's girlfriend is from Wyoming. They'll pull you over there for one mile over the limit. They have nothing else to do.

Dumpster Diver
21st January 2018, 00:58
I feel like it's quite a bit bigger than the US, especially considering the 5 Eyes nations.

Another point, even if the vote didn't pass does anyone actually think they'd stop spying?

No...they’ll spy for the good guys...spooks are spooks, can’t change their nature.


That's funny Fred, in a sad way. My brother was telling me that they almost never pull people over in California (San Diego area) for speeding. He said there's just not enough cops. There're too many other traffic issues.'

My son's girlfriend is from Wyoming. They'll pull you over there for one mile over the limit. They have nothing else to do.

Here in Dan Siego (here with the GF on a mini working “vacation”) they’ll get cha for driving while Hispanic. They typically leave the blacks alone as they are mostly military.

Dreamtimer
21st January 2018, 10:24
Yeah. I was talking with some people who grew up in Chula Vista and there was a street you didn't go past unless you were ready to get pulled over. Everyone knew it.

Hearing stories like that makes me step back and think a bit. I never, ever had to worry about where I went in that sort of way.

I got profiled once while driving by a church. The young lady in front of me was as well. See, it was a black church and surely the young black lady in the car in front of me was going into the parking lot, right? And surely I wasn't, I mean after all....(I'm kinda pale)

johnjen325
21st January 2018, 10:45
Another angle to consider is that this allows them to continue to collect data on those of questionable character as well.
You know, those who are on the wane in terms of executing a global plan for all of us.

And if there is an upcoming upgrade in the works for all of us, all of this legislation and illegality will be negated, one way or another.

Just a thought or 2.

JJ