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I assume that this applies to HTTPS and SSH sessions.

Given that the only scrutiny they're ever subject to is public opinion in an occasional news-cycle-long burst, one would have to be pretty gullible to assume these guidelines imply any operational restrictions whatsoever. If no better excuse could be found, I'm sure this one would be trotted out to justify indefinitely storing even plain-text email - "in case of stenography".

The word is "steganography". Stenography is to do with taking notes.

oops, thanks. Linguistic errors even give them ammunition for that kind of argument.

Given their other twisted interpretations of laws and policies to suit their purposes, I wouldn't be surprised. But we have no idea, because they classify everything, including how they interpret the existing laws.

>But we have no idea, because they classify everything, including how they interpret the existing laws.

We do have an idea, let's label it 'Clapperspeak'. "Common accepted best practices of espionage trade craft" gives state sanctioned CLASSIFIED license to lie, cheat, steal, bear false witness, interpret 12 ways to Sunday, anything and everything.

Why wouldn't it apply to HTTPS and SSH?