NSA: Our spy programs don’t work or get use; can you permanently authorize them?

theregister.co.uk

32 points·daddylonglegs··5 comments

I've heard that these programs are widely used for corporate espionage, especially internationally. It would certainly make sense why they would have been silently kept alive all these years.

The programs should be permanently authorized so that they conversation turns to one of repeal rather than, "I guess we'll repeal it when it comes time to renew it in a few years", and then never repealing it.

Everyone is just going to make a bunch of noise and then promptly re-authorize them. Easy-peasy.

It could be the normal assert of continued non-accountability.. But they also might want to fail more than the politicians want to choose a non-nationalist policy.

I would expect they miss the days when they had just enough white hat cred to argue dark shade of grey vs black and not NSA black vs vanta black.

Exactly. I have written my senator and congressmen about this and similar issues, and I always get very canned answers. Something like "we need to support our military / law enforcement's ability to keep us safe" blah blah blah. I realize it's a highly technical (relatively speaking) and very specific issue, but I am trying to stay positive that people will begin paying attention over time. I can't help but think if people really understood what data is collected and how that data can be used, this would be a totally different story. But as usual, this will fly just under the radar, get reauthorized, and completely forgotten about by 99% of the population.

Headline is misleading.

Politicians such as Feinstein appeal to constituents with their “public disclosure” rhetoric.

Of course, the justifications are classified and need to be discussed behind closed doors. It’s a spy program.

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