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I think tptacek is using this non-issue to subtly discredit Glen Greenwald and Snowden.

Why is it a non-issue? One interpretation implies that the NSA is constantly accessing the data of anyone, anywhere. The other implies something incredibly smaller in scope and with a legal framework (which you may or may not like) behind it.

This seems to be the entire issue to me with PRISM - whether it's an unprecedented level of access or merely a statement of what has known to have been going on, and what was covered under FISA, for years, but just in a more technically expedient manner.

It is a non-issue because tptacek is inventing semantic distinctions (apparently irrelevant to whomever created the NSA document) to attack the credibility of multiple whistleblowers who allege widespread surveillance and abuse.

http://media.hotair.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/prism-...

Especially given the fact that the leaked documents specifically encourage analysts to use a range of tools (i.e. "You should use both"), he has no technical grounds for suggesting that such a minor semantic debate (between NSA and Google) discredits the claims of multiple people with first-hand experience of the NSA who are coming forward with claims of its abuse of power.

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