Sources: NSA sucks in data from 50 companies (more Prism details)

This is one of the most cogent articles I've read today about this atrocious issue. At least, from a political standpoint. A lot of the technical details seems hokey:

> PRISM works well because it is able to handle several different types of data streams using different basic encryption methods, the person said. It is a "front end" system, or software, that allows an NSA analyst to search through the data and pull out items of significance, which are then stored in any number of databases. PRISM works with another NSA program to encrypt and remove from the analysts' screen data that a computer or the analyst seems to be from a US person who is not the subject of the investigation, the person said.

"handle different basic encryption methods": what does that even mean? Are they able to decode AES? Likewise, "remove from an analyst's screen"?? Seems exactly like technical mumbo jumbo to impress an illiterate journalist.

But the main point still stands: the administration is relying on more and more creative interpretations of words like "analyze" and "collect", and is not raising the specter of terrorism to cover their naked grab for power.

Seems the link has changed: http://theweek.com/article/index/245311/sources-nsa-sucks-in...