The National Security Agency, America’s famous intelligence unit, today called an end to its strategy of bulk phone surveillance. The plan is to replace it with a more targeted alternative which will snoop on domestic actors, following approval via court order to demand records from phone companies.
The NSA is to be prohibited from collecting bulk data, which it had claimed legitimacy for under the post 9-11 Patriot Act. Edward Snowden, was responsible for making public the mass-snooping program in 2013.
In future, there will be an annual report to government regarding how many people have been targeted by NSA resquests for the personal data – which will include phone numbers, as well as the timing and duration of calls made. Conversation data is reported not to be included in the information given to intelligence services.
SOURCE: DAILY NATION
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.nation.co.ke/news/world/NSA-ends-mass-phone-surveillance-programme-/-/1068/2977534/-/n34w2b/-/index.html
