Obama orders curbs on NSA data use

[webfact]

Obama orders curbs on NSA data use

WASHINGTON: -- President Barack Obama has ordered curbs on the use of bulk data collected by US intelligence agencies, saying civil liberties must be respected.

Mr Obama said such data had prevented terror attacks at home and abroad, but that in tackling threats the government risked over-reaching itself.

However civil liberties groups have said the changes do not go far enough.

The announcement follows widespread anger after leaks revealed the full extent of US surveillance operations.

The leaked documents revealed that the US collects massive amounts of electronic data from communications of private individuals around the world, and has spied on foreign leaders.

Full story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25785573


-- BBC 2014-01-18

[Credo]

Whatever curbs are instituted will all be undone with the next terrorist attack. Other than some threats from home grown terrorists, right now we remain relatively safe because the majority of AQ and other groups are focused on Syria. Once the Syrian conflict is over, the terrorists will start concentrating on the evil west.

Once they return, we can rest assured most people will gladly give up freedom for security. We can't have both.

[noikrit]

Who Cares about the surveilance !! .... If you've got nothing to hide so what !!! Perhaps some more spying might catch some corrupt polititians and put them behind bars ! Catch the Terrorist , catch the Crims and molesters ! .... and if you have to look over my back fence ... Knock youself out ... PS Phone Hacking by Murdock and his pathetic perverts is a totaly different ball game ....

[lomatopo]

Mr Obama said such data had prevented terror attacks at home and abroad

but we can't reveal any details so trust us.

Obama’s restrictions on NSA surveillance rely on narrow definition of ‘spying’

Obama placed restrictions on access to domestic phone records collected by the National Security Agency, but the changes he announced will allow it to continue — or expand — the collection of personal data from billions of people around the world, Americans and foreign citizens alike.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obamas-restrictions-on-nsa-surveillance-rely-on-narrow-definition-of-spying/2014/01/17/2478cc02-7fcb-11e3-93c1-0e888170b723_story.html

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies deleted.

[Ulysses G.]

I dont agree with Obama on much, but I am glad that he is not curtailing this program too severely. I rather be safe than sorry.

[NeverSure]

I dont agree with Obama on much, but I am glad that he is not curtailing this program too severely. I rather be safe than sorry.

I wonder if he enjoys having a complete, duplicate collection of your porn?

[chuckd]

I dont agree with Obama on much, but I am glad that he is not curtailing this program too severely. I rather be safe than sorry.

I wonder if he enjoys having a complete, duplicate collection of your porn?

Only if he needs to blackmail you with it.

[midas]

Rand Paul Slams Obama NSA Speech

"While I am encouraged the president is addressing the NSA spying program because of pressure from Congress and the American people, I am disappointed in the details," said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. "President Obama's announced solution to the NSA spying controversy is the same unconstitutional program with a new configuration."

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/01/17/rand-paul-slams-obama-nsa-speech

[sirineou]

”Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”

​Benjamin Franklin

[Ulic]

I am sure the curbs are only technical curbs. Instead of following and keeping 100 % of data they are

keeping 99.99999 percent of data. No worries no changes.

[stoli]

Whatever curbs are instituted will all be undone with the next terrorist attack. Other than some threats from home grown terrorists, right now we remain relatively safe because the majority of AQ and other groups are focused on Syria. Once the Syrian conflict is over, the terrorists will start concentrating on the evil west.

Once they return, we can rest assured most people will gladly give up freedom for security. We can't have both.

Totally ridiculous that you cannot have both freedom and security. This is right out of the textbook of the NSA, and those that enjoy disrespecting your privacy. Too live a life believing that there is a terrorist lurking behind every tree is not a life, but paranoia. Remember, your intelligence community, (the name they gave themselves), do not stop criminal acts, they investigate them. If you truly mean it when you say they can tap all of your lines, and read all of your emails, you are fooling only yourself. If they came to your door and said they wanted to examine your computer and cell phone calls, you would fight them tooth and nail, and you know it. Everyone has personal things in their life that they want to remain personal, and you are no different.

[F430murci]

Truth is, it's here to stay and all big countries are doing it. Sucks, but what cha gonna do. Move on, don't break the law and enjoy life. Fretting over that which you have no control hurts the one fretting more than anyone else.

[Credo]

We can quote Benjamin Franklin and a load of other people from a bygone era, but we live in a different time. The people who are spying on us are no longer following us around. They are sitting behind a computer and looking at information which is easily available. A huge amount of that information we freely exchange with others, such as on facebook or even here on Thaivisa. Even those that don't have an account are likely to have their picture posted on someone else's account and their name recorded as well.

The remainder is available because we have bank accounts, credit cards and store-issued discount cards so they know everything we buy. Those ATM's, by the way, take our picture as we walk by. All over most cities now are CCTV which record our every move. In the housing estate where I live, there is CCTV which is accessible on the internet by all residents, so wherever I am I can view the entire housing estate and see my house.

Our protection is probably based not so much on the fact that the gov't has it (oh, and I doubt very much that it's only the US gov't that has it), but that the amount of data is so massive there is no way they can really look at it without having a reasonable cause to look for something specific.

[sirineou]

We can quote Benjamin Franklin and a load of other people from a bygone era, but we live in a different time. The people who are spying on us are no longer following us around. They are sitting behind a computer and looking at information which is easily available. A huge amount of that information we freely exchange with others, such as on facebook or even here on Thaivisa. Even those that don't have an account are likely to have their picture posted on someone else's account and their name recorded as well.

The remainder is available because we have bank accounts, credit cards and store-issued discount cards so they know everything we buy. Those ATM's, by the way, take our picture as we walk by. All over most cities now are CCTV which record our every move. In the housing estate where I live, there is CCTV which is accessible on the internet by all residents, so wherever I am I can view the entire housing estate and see my house.

Our protection is probably based not so much on the fact that the gov't has it (oh, and I doubt very much that it's only the US gov't that has it), but that the amount of data is so massive there is no way they can really look at it without having a reasonable cause to look for something specific.

Yea but don't you see that in order that we protect our selves from one danger, we replace it with an other greater danger.

[JLCrab]

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/19/business/eagle-scout-idealist-drug-trafficker.html

What is unclear is how the feds knew where the servers were. ... Was the National Security Agency involved? Did this process involve breaking laws, or violating constitutional rights?

[lomatopo]

Fretting over that which you have no control hurts the one fretting more than anyone else.

This would make a great preamble to the Bill of Rights, or maybe the motto for the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea.

Don't worry, be happy.

[puck2]

We can quote Benjamin Franklin and a load of other people from a bygone era, but we live in a different time. The people who are spying on us are no longer following us around. They are sitting behind a computer and looking at information which is easily available. A huge amount of that information we freely exchange with others, such as on facebook or even here on Thaivisa. Even those that don't have an account are likely to have their picture posted on someone else's account and their name recorded as well.

The remainder is available because we have bank accounts, credit cards and store-issued discount cards so they know everything we buy. Those ATM's, by the way, take our picture as we walk by. All over most cities now are CCTV which record our every move. In the housing estate where I live, there is CCTV which is accessible on the internet by all residents, so wherever I am I can view the entire housing estate and see my house.

Our protection is probably based not so much on the fact that the gov't has it (oh, and I doubt very much that it's only the US gov't that has it), but that the amount of data is so massive there is no way they can really look at it without having a reasonable cause to look for something specific.

Yea but don't you see that in order that we protect our selves from one danger, we replace it with an other greater danger.

+1, @sirineou

Yes, the USA are on their way to perform George Orwell's fantasy-novel "1984".

A foretaste of what is to come was delivered in 2002/2003 by the FBI (including NSA) to prepare the "American War" in Iraq and to manipulate the public opinion. An awful crime with no legal consequences. And that rises the question: does the NSA only work for this great(???) purpose, the security.? OMG, who is so naive to believe this nonsense.

only 2 excerpts of

http://www.thenation.com/blog/174744/remember-when-nsa-surveillance-was-used-help-launch-iraq-war#

...But what if the government abuses the vast surveillance power it is accumulating? What if the NSA is used for political purposes, not safety? This is often left out of the debate, or dismissed outright. ....

....So here is a clear case where the US government used its surveillance powers—ostensibly in place for national security—to target political opponents and advance an invasion of Iraq. The memo states explicitly that the surveillance is being used to “give US policymakers an edge in obtaining results favorable to US goals or to head off surprises.” ....

[Credo]

So what exactly is the problem, the fact that the NSA collects a lot of information or that that there are politicians that use incorrect information to gain what they want.

It's seems similar to Fox News who quote an anonymous source.

[sirineou]

So what exactly is the problem, the fact that the NSA collects a lot of information or that that there are politicians that use incorrect information to gain what they want.

It's seems similar to Fox News who quote an anonymous source.

The problem is bureaucrats using the information they collected, to subvert the political system and enslave you

[Credo]

It'll never happen. I am not a very good shot, but my neighbors all are deadly accurate and now you know why most Americans like their guns. (I don't have one, but like I said, my neighbors all do).

[puck2]

So what exactly is the problem, the fact that the NSA collects a lot of information or that that there are politicians that use incorrect information to gain what they want.

It's seems similar to Fox News who quote an anonymous source.

Now you are interpreting the facts as "incorrect information" If the truth is aching make a defamation, not only your style! Maybe you didn't want to read the link.

The NSA doesn't follow the law or is too afraid to do so. That's one of the problems. Being a member in manipulating a war is not like to pick one's nose. If you deny that the NSA has any reliability for it's job and it's information, then you make me believe the US agencies have the same quality as the Thai ones, no responsibility.

.

[F430murci]

Haha, OMG, nobody is being enslaved. . . . Relax, take deep breathes. Life is good. You have nothing to worry about unless you are plotting to do something real bad. On second thought, if you lamatop and the other "what if, what if, what if" guy, puck, get something out of thinking your special enough to get spied on or it makes you happy to worry about everything and hate on the government . . . so be it. I just thought people like this were only in Montana or in the movies.

Life is good, economy is great . . . Go buy some property while interest rates and prices are good and stop fretting.

[sirineou]

Haha, OMG, nobody is being enslaved. . . . Relax, take deep breathes. Life is good. You have nothing to worry about unless you are plotting to do something real bad. On second thought, if you lamatop and the other "what if, what if, what if" guy, puck, get something out of thinking your special enough to get spied on or it makes you happy to worry about everything and hate on the government . . . so be it. I just thought people like this were only in Montana or in the movies.

Life is good, economy is great . . . Go buy some property while interest rates and prices are good and stop fretting.

Hush litle baby dont you cry, moma gona sing you a lalaby

[Asiantravel]

Haha, OMG, nobody is being enslaved. . . . Relax, take deep breathes. Life is good. You have nothing to worry about unless you are plotting to do something real bad. On second thought, if you lamatop and the other "what if, what if, what if" guy, puck, get something out of thinking your special enough to get spied on or it makes you happy to worry about everything and hate on the government . . . so be it. I just thought people like this were only in Montana or in the movies.

Life is good, economy is great . . . Go buy some property while interest rates and prices are good and stop fretting.

Hush litle baby dont you cry, moma gona sing you a lalaby

yes it seems he has never heard the about the example of the frog in boiling water

[sirineou]

Haha, OMG, nobody is being enslaved. . . . Relax, take deep breathes. Life is good. You have nothing to worry about unless you are plotting to do something real bad. On second thought, if you lamatop and the other "what if, what if, what if" guy, puck, get something out of thinking your special enough to get spied on or it makes you happy to worry about everything and hate on the government . . . so be it. I just thought people like this were only in Montana or in the movies.

Life is good, economy is great . . . Go buy some property while interest rates and prices are good and stop fretting.

Hush litle baby dont you cry, moma gona sing you a lalaby

yes it seems he has never heard the about the example of the frog in boiling water

Good analogy,

[sirineou]

Who Cares about the surveilance !! .... If you've got nothing to hide so what !!! Perhaps some more spying might catch some corrupt polititians and put them behind bars ! Catch the Terrorist , catch the Crims and molesters ! .... and if you have to look over my back fence ... Knock youself out ... PS Phone Hacking by Murdock and his pathetic perverts is a totaly different ball game ....

Maybe now, Murdoch's "pathetic perverts" , can now get jobs with the NSA, then I guess it would be a "totally different game"

I wonder ,if I was an elected official trying to pass legislation to curb NSA activities and prosecute any NSA agents involved in illegal activities, If such agents might not be tempted to look in to all the information gathered on such legislator and use that information against him? ???

Nahhh they would never do that, that is probably why so many legislators are jumping on the bandwagon to curb NSA activities and prosecute NSA agents engaging in illegal activities.

Information is power and information of me is power over me, but we are not concern about that ,because we know the government has never misused it's power before

is it only me who thinks this,

but aren't conservatives some what schizophrenic??

on one hand they say they want to limit the power of the government over people, and on the other hand they are falling over theme selves to give the government all short of powers over people.

Abortion, end of life issues, Religion , capitol punishment, Privacy infringement, constitutional rights infringement, etc, etc, etc

[Crushdepth]

Who Cares about the surveilance !! .... If you've got nothing to hide so what !!! Perhaps some more spying might catch some corrupt polititians and put them behind bars ! Catch the Terrorist , catch the Crims and molesters ! .... and if you have to look over my back fence ... Knock youself out ... PS Phone Hacking by Murdock and his pathetic perverts is a totaly different ball game ....

I do. I have nothing to hide from people I trust - and the US government is not on that list (actually, no government is on that list). As a non-US citizen as far as I'm concerned they can go die in a fire.

[F430murci]

Who Cares about the surveilance !! .... If you've got nothing to hide so what !!! Perhaps some more spying might catch some corrupt polititians and put them behind bars ! Catch the Terrorist , catch the Crims and molesters ! .... and if you have to look over my back fence ... Knock youself out ... PS Phone Hacking by Murdock and his pathetic perverts is a totaly different ball game ....

I do. I have nothing to hide from people I trust - and the US government is not on that list (actually, no government is on that list). As a non-US citizen as far as I'm concerned they can go die in a fire.

Yes it's annoying, but these guys on here are a day late and a dollar short.

This stuff was put into place right after twin towers because Bush was not going to risk another attack on his watch. I was pissed back then and could see how they were manipulating the public with axis of evil speeches and code orange airport warnings to keep public objection about erosion of the 4th at bay.

It has been almost 13 years now that this has been in place. We have many ruling by various district and circuit courts holding constitutionally permissible before current administration took office. No president from this point forward is going to risk another twin towers like incident on their watch.

The funny part is how easily the noid mind can be manipulated and get worked up by carefully chosen media releases over something perhaps relatively benign and that anyone with their head out of their butt knew was taking place since 2001/2002.

I also agree that corporations collect, sell AND USE way more personal data than the NSA. I am much more bothered by this. Facebook and companies know where you are, where you have been, where you work, how much you make, where you shop, what you purchase, who you communicate or socialize with and on and on.

----------

. . . U.S. companies collect more data on Americans than the NSA does. When you look at what companies collect, the government does not seem to be a major offender at all, she said.

http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/19/22358363-congressional-intelligence-chairmen-applaud-obama-for-backing-surveillance?lite

[F430murci]

The hilarious part is the same guys noided out right now view Snowden as a hero, but it appears Snowden was working with the FSB and these press releases to get public worked up over data collection was perhaps media controlled manipulation by Moscow and a calculated misdirection.

Russia was apparently assisting Snowden who was perhaps too ignorant to realize what was happening. He may be good at computers and video games, but he is uneducated and lacks common sense.

Moscow is the world's greatest at media manipulation and propaganda. FSB got sensitive military information, but leaked the breach as an NSA collection issue to cause uproar, hinder US's security abilities, and take focus off what Russia and Snowden really did.

FSB and Moscow apparently were in on this before Snowden left the US. Obviously, FSB would not have flown Snowden directly to Moscow if they were in on it . . ., but everything that happened was apparently very calculated, intentional and well planned.

---------

Congressional intelligence chairmen applaud Obama for backing surveillance

. . .

He was stealing information that had to do with how we operate overseas to collect information to keep Americans safe. And some of the things he did were beyond his technical capabilities -- a fact which Rogers said raises more questions. How he arranged travel before he left. How he was ready to go, he had a go bag, if you will.

Rogers added that he believes there's a reason he ended up in the hands, the loving arms, of an FSB (Russian security service) agent in Moscow. I don't think that's a coincidence.

http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/19/22358363-congressional-intelligence-chairmen-applaud-obama-for-backing-surveillance?lite

--------

. . . That's like having the janitor at a bank who figured out how to steal some money deciding matters of high finance. This was a thief, who we believe had some help, who stole information the vast majority, had nothing to do with privacy. Our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines have been incredibly harmed by the data that he has taken with him and we believe now is in the hands of nation states.

. . . We're going to have to rebuild whole aspects of operations from our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines that will cost billions and billions of dollars because the information he stole and gave, which we believe is now in the hands of nation states, who are doing something with it. There's no honor in that.

http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/19/22358363-congressional-intelligence-chairmen-applaud-obama-for-backing-surveillance?lite