The Senate passed a similar measure last Friday. Under U.S. law, it is illegal for the NSA to collect or use intelligence on U.S. citizens not suspected of spying against the United States or similar wrongdoing. But the NSA is finding it increasingly difficult to limit itself in an electronic age, where information and communication freely crosses national boundaries. If the agency inadvertently intercepts communications involving a U.S. citizen, it is supposed to destroy any information that would identify the citizen. The site not only is a clearinghouse for discussion, it includes an array of documents, including the European Parliament report, that shed some light on the program.
Computers then use advanced word filtering programs to search for keywords or phrases of interest.
Intercepts with those words may then be flagged and sent to intelligence agencies. For example, conversations with followers of alleged terrorists are routinely intercepted and analyzed for keywords or phrases that may suggest another terrorist action is imminent. That dispute has now been resolved in a compromise. But Congress' new request is broader, and any new congressional report may be the first real glimpse into this very secret world. Click here for Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Internet Safety Information applicable to this site.