Greenwald Claims Private Contractors Can Spy On Calls, Emails: ‘I Defy NSA Officials To Deny’ These
Source: Abc News
Following up on Edward Snowden’s earlier claim that he could wiretap anybody as a low-level defense contractor—a claim denied by NSA officials and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers—Glenn Greenwald appeared on This Week With George Stephanopoulos and claimed that his forthcoming reporting would prove exactly that.
“It’s an incredibly powerful and invasive tool,” Greenwald said of the program Snowden used, “exactly the type that Mr. Snowden described. NSA officials are going to be testifying before the Senate on Wednesday, and I defy them to deny that these programs work exactly as I’ve just said.”
Greenwald described the capabilities of the program, accessible not just by NSA officials but by low-level private contractors:
“The NSA has trillions of telephone calls and email in their databases. What these programs are are very simple screens, like the ones that supermarket clerks or shipping and receiving clerks use, where all an analyst has to do is enter an email address or an IP address, and it does two things: it searches that database and lets them listen to the calls or read the emails of everything that the NSA has stored, or look at the browsing histories or Google search terms that you’ve entered; and it also alerts them to any further activity that people connected to that email address or connected to that IP address do in the future. And it’s all done with no need to go to a court, with no need to even get supervisor approval on the part of the analyst.”
Greenwald noted that while “there are legal constraints on how you can spy on Americans,” there’s nothing stopping, or even detecting, abuse of the program.
“The real issue here is that what the NSA does is done in complete secrecy,” Greenwald said. “Nobody really monitors who they’re eavesdropping on. The question of abuse is one that the Congress ought to be investigating much more aggressively.”
Greenwald also pointed out that, if true, these allegations would make some under-oath statements from the likes of National Intelligence Director James Clapper untrue.
Read more: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/greenwald-claims-private-contractors-can-spy-on-calls-emails-i-defy-nsa-officials-to-deny-these-capabilities/
No, Glenn the N.S.A. isn't storing trillions of phone calls and emails of citizens, it goes in a database so if you contact a suspected terrorist or any connection , than it gets picked up, he's trying to make Americans believe the government is storing everyone's phone calls of average people... for shame Glen, yo dirtbag
You're a loser Glenn
The call doesn't go into a database, just that you made the call does, and once that is made, then a wire tap can be granted
My point is no one has released any story, revealing such an overreach, until he has proof , or releases that proof that the government is storing everyone's phone calls, he shouldn't make such claims
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Vinnie From Indy
(10,820 posts)"My point is no one has released any story, revealing such an overreach,"
I smell pizza! Enjoy your stay!
Cheers!
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)
Cryptoad
(8,254 posts)Like the Tea Party,,,, they believe speculation and conjecture is proof!
geeez
Response to frontier00 (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
nebenaube
(3,496 posts)You can't review the content you don't have, so your point is pointless. The system is meaningless unless the content is also stored. Meta data alone is what is machine processed in order to identify what content to review.
Tx4obama
(36,974 posts)The NSA stores the 'meta data' that the telecoms collect.
The 'FBI' only wiretaps a phone when a Judge orders a court order - THAT is different than what the NSA has.
PSPS
(15,321 posts)Worshiper/Apologist Hit Parade
1. This is nothing new
2. I have nothing to hide
3. What are you, a freeper?
4. But Obama is better than Christie/Romney/Bush/Hitler
5. Greenwald/Flaherty/Gillum/Apuzzo/Braun is a hack
6. We have red light cameras, so this is no big deal
7. Corporations have my data anyway
8. At least Obama is trying
9. This is just the media trying to take Obama down
10. It's a misunderstanding/you are confused
11. You're a racist
12. Nobody cares about this anyway / "unfounded fears"
13. I don't like Snowden, therefore we must disregard all of this
14. Other countries do it
tblue
(16,350 posts)and saving me the time. Why even put up this op just to tell us it's nothing to worry about?: shrug: Let's be REALLY gullible and trusting of people with enormous access and little oversight. 
Civilization2
(649 posts)See; http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017134925
They keep ALL THE DATA and they only call it a "search" when they OFFICIALLY look into it., this is not to say that the corporate contractors do not have access to look into it a will, only that this is not official "policy". They have space to keep everything for 100 years!
GoneFishin
(5,217 posts)now all I see is "blah, blah, blah, meta data". The apologists seem to think this is their strongest talking point because they keep going back to it.
It's been debunked. It's bullshit.
James48
(5,214 posts)The reason these government officials keep denying that the government is spying on you...(Mike Rogers is MY Congressman)... is because it IS NOT the government doing it.
It is all these PRIVATE CORPORATION CONTRACTORS who are doing the spying.
And FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS AND FOREIGN CONTRACTORS- including companies in the U.K., who are reading MY emails, and postings, and asking me questions on facebook accounts, and then reporting back to the US NSA what they find out.
Plausible denyability- because its the foreign people being paid by the u.s. government who are doing the actual interface with subjects of spies.
The NSA people, and the Congressmen, all stand up and say "The U.S. Government is not spying on you."
Which is true.
The U.S. Government is paying private contractors, and foreigners, to spy on you, and then report the results back to them.
Response to James48 (Reply #7)
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It has a certain kind of flimsy plausible deniability.
Kind of like saying, "I didn't kill that person, I paid someone else to do it for me".
wildbilln864
(13,382 posts)Response to frontier00 (Original post)
mother earth This message was self-deleted by its author.
Response to frontier00 (Original post)
mother earth This message was self-deleted by its author.
FreakinDJ
(17,644 posts)cosmicone
(11,014 posts)soon, the commercial break on Faux News will be over and you can go back to your favorite show!!
Bradical79
(4,490 posts)All you're doing is wading into a subject you are pretty damn clueless about, embarrassing yourself on a consistent basis, and by proxy embarrassing the President Obama supporters that immediately support your nonsense without thinking about the bullshit you're actually posting. Should have quit after trying to tie a tragic story about homosexuals targeted and tortured in Moscow to Snowden.
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)feels there is proof now. Duh. That the US government (through contractors) is storing everyone's e-everything.
No need to call Glenn names just because you want him to shut up.
You know he's after the truth about it. And that's what you really don't like.
GeorgeGist
(25,570 posts)
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)Thanks for the scary story Mr. Beck.
Now I have to go back to cooking, cleaning, walking the dog, helping Mom, etc.
And the NSA is welcome to my phone numbers, as I'm not calling any TERRORISTS!
burnodo
(2,017 posts)
Blue State Bandit
(2,122 posts)I took heat here for not falling in line with the "Snowden's a hero" crowd, mainly because Snowden claimed, and did not offer proof of this specific type of abuse of the NSA system.
I said from the jump that if this type of proof existed, it should be outed. But Snowden was too busy proving the technical capabilities of the program (i.e. use against foreign government/militant/criminal organizations, and not the access of these capabilities to the private sector.
If he had just led with this, I would have been more supportive of him, but he did not. His actions created a rift within a natural coalition in our party, and crippled America's ability to exert diplomatic power from a position of strength when dealing with Russia and China.
It is clear that the real problem is private entities, without oversight, having full access to these capabilities, and the possibility that private entities can buy access for non-national security purposes such as...
-big banks crushing Occupy
-Monsanto tracking and threatening anti-GMO campaigners
-big oil end-running legislation to modify or revoke their subsidies.
Once more. If Snowden had led with this, we could be organized into a united front that would put and end to the program as it exists today, but he didn't, and we can not.
I was once told that the best thing about being an American is that we can do pretty much anything we want, as long as we are willing to pay the consequences. This dynamic has been eroded in the past few decades by these very same entities involved here. True whistleblowers realize this, take the risk, and stand ready to challenge the consequences. They don't run to our nations adversaries for protection.
That's why he's no hero in my eyes. A hero would have marched right up to the DOJ, press in tow, and defied them to there faces as Daniel Ellsberg did.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)railsback
(1,881 posts)Society doesn't have the power to do anything if its fractured and incoherent. So, yes, Snowden/Greenwald went about this ALL wrong, so much so that there's so much skepticism and distrust that nothing will come of this after enduring all this noise.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Did gyre and gymble in ye wabe:
All mimsy were ye borogoves;
And ye mome raths outgrabe.
\
Nice poem, eh?
railsback
(1,881 posts)Like Greenwald's accusations. Deliberately obtuse.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)RC
(25,592 posts)Got it.
railsback
(1,881 posts)Only opportunists hiding behind a 'whistleblower' tag.
Blue State Bandit
(2,122 posts)The mandate of the NSA is sigintel collection against foreign entities. The only people who should have access to this data, under that mandate, should be sworn government agents, and only with warranted authorization.
Retrieving and storing data from servers in Hong Kong to spy on China, which was one of the early reports, has nothing to do with the unwarranted access to this data by private, unaccountable entities.
By waiting till now to finally get around to telling this part of the story created the fissure evident in your sarcastic tone of your reply. And in effect, weaked our ability to oppose the true threat posed by the current structure of the program.
It's on par with using "Global Warming" as a call to action to fight pollution. It left the environmental movement with with the inability to counter the stupid, but effective, tactic of pointing at snowmen to counter hard scientific fact.
If the NSA is not reigned in, you can thank your buddy Snowden for fucking up the delivery of the message.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Blue State Bandit
(2,122 posts)and not spend the past few months warning China and Russia of NSA activities that, by mandate, is the reason the agency exists in the first place.
And technically, until this new expose Glenn is promising runs in the press, he still has not done it.
My advice to Snowden would be to just fucking get it over with and stop beating around the bush outing ops aimed at foreign entities.
And if you weren't so busy trying to make me look like some kinda NSA apologist, you would recognize that you question was answered before you even typed it.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Blue State Bandit
(2,122 posts)bemildred
(90,061 posts)And you think that means that it's too late to fix now, we're trapped, because the liberals or somebody is divided over the spying?
Have you noticed that the Conservative/Republican ranks are also split by this issue?
Blue State Bandit
(2,122 posts)You are purposely mixing the mandate of our intelligent services with the unconstitutional misuse of, and lack of constitutional safeguards of the program.
That's what pisses me off.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)What does that mean, if not what Isaid?
Blue State Bandit
(2,122 posts)bemildred
(90,061 posts)What do you think about hte american people?
Blue State Bandit
(2,122 posts)bemildred
(90,061 posts)WHAT about the American People?
Ash_F
(5,861 posts)Blue State Bandit
(2,122 posts)And you comment only explains my greater point. You just accused me of a double standard that you have zero proof even exists. Accusations are the tools of weak hands. Prove action/inaction or have your bluff called.
Show me proof that I do not demand proof from my government. And while you are at it, prove that you do anything more than make snide remarks in chat rooms and expect such "wit" to further the discussion?
Ash_F
(5,861 posts)I have a problem with this mechanism being kept in secret and completely controlled by Republicans. 10/11 Bush Reagan bots in the FISA court and a lying Bush bot heading the DNI.
I don't trust Republicans and their secrets. Do you?
Blue State Bandit
(2,122 posts)but Snowden, what ever his intention, blew it when he decided to wait till now to get around to detailing the part that actually effects Americans.
He was too busy covering his own ass, and working on a soft landing under the protection of China, and then Russia.
Hell, even Putin told him to stop. Even he recognizes the precarious situation Snowden's hap-hazard actions puts the United States and the balance of power between the super-powers.
bemildred
(90,061 posts)They make noise for a while and hope you forget the question.
tblue
(16,350 posts)why?
Gin
(7,212 posts)Time frame and I was able to hear the phone calls..both sides.....and see the reps screens they visited on the web. It was VOIP.....and surely not as sophisticated as the gov.
So.....I believe they can...they have, are...and.... will be able to do much more.
Just My humble opinion.
Vietnameravet
(1,085 posts)Deny what I say, ( knowing full well these agencies usually cannot and will not either confirm or deny for reasons which ought to be obvious)..If they are quiet accuse them of a coverup..
Then if they deny, accuse them of lying....
struggle4progress
(126,151 posts)If GG has proof, or has any evidence at all, he's welcome to bring it forward, of course. But I don't think GG has evidence of it.
UglyGreed
(7,661 posts)This is nothing new yet Greenwald acts as if he and Snowden has discovered this on their own. I'm sorry but anyone connected to Rand and Ron Paul raises red flags IHMO. We have been spied on by our government or their allie's like Canada for years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnivore_(software)
there was a another program that starts with an E but the name escapes me at the moment.
UglyGreed
(7,661 posts)and look who is trying go cash in on snowden and Greenwald.
http://www.politicususa.com/2013/06/12/agendas-outed-ron-paul-edward-snowdens-nsa-leak-raise-money.html
It's not the message, it's the money - Ron Paul 
UglyGreed
(7,661 posts)Rand Paul was held captive by the TSA at the airport..........this is all a part of Libertarian street theater!!! Come on folks please don't fall for it, you'll be sorry.
NoodleyAppendage
(4,625 posts)Unless you can prove that you have information other than what has been published about the subject, then you are just blowing smoke out your...
I recommend looking up the definition of "cognitive dissonance" because buddy, you have a raging case of it.
J
unreadierLizard
(475 posts)defending this because Obama's doing it.
I swear that poster is a bot program for the NSA.
Zen Democrat
(5,901 posts)Now that is something beyond frightening.
Kablooie
(19,107 posts)I wonder why?
Bragi
(7,650 posts)He/she/it posts pro-surveillance articles, which attract immediate support from his/her/it's usual handful of supporters, and then the OP stands back until the next opportunity arrives to post another pro-surveillance article.
Why, it's almost like one of those campaigns run by HBGary "personas" all intended to show bitter divisions among the left on critical security versus rights issues.
I have expressed on multiple occasions that I am against the campaign that Greenwald and Snowden are conducting
against the U.S. government, but this situation whether it's pro or against, this news is interesting and I'm gonna report the news
Vanje
(9,766 posts)persona--l
Fearless
(18,458 posts)Someone brings up a claim. Then they provide evidence. Then people vet that evidence. Then rinse and repeat.
Essentially, we've had stage one and he's suggesting that stage two will be up and coming. So I suggest that everyone wait to see the evidence (or lack thereof if that is the case) before jumping to wild conclusions about whether the statements are true or false. As of now, neither those who say one or the other has shown evidence of EITHER. So, yeah, let's redirect our attention to actual investigation and away from gut reactions. Can we handle that DU?
Octafish
(55,745 posts)Nothing like telling the truth to scare people.
The Stranger
(11,297 posts)No, Glenn the N.S.A. isn't storing trillions of phone calls and emails of citizens, it goes in a database so if you contact a suspected terrorist or any connection , than it gets picked up,
We're just supposed to take someone's word for this? Someone who went to extraordinary lengths to hide the fact that this is even going on?
Who the fuck do you take us for?