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NSA Caught Again Buying American’s Data


So, get this. The National Security Agency, our very own governement watchdog has been buying up data like it’s a Black Friday sale on Amazon.

Data from your apps?

Add to cart.

Data from your search results?

Add to cart.

Data about what Trump loving news sites citizens have been visiting?

Add to cart.

Do you have a warrant? Check one option:

-Yes

-No X

Great! Now please enter your fradulent government’s credit card to complete purchase.

Fox News reports:

The National Security Agency has been accused of buying Americans’ internet browsing information from commercial data brokers without warrants, according to documents released by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

In a letter to Wyden, NSA director Paul Nakasone provided newly unclassified documents revealing that the agency buys Americans’ data, including information about the websites they visit and the apps they use. The letter, dated Dec. 11, was made public on Thursday.

Wyden, a privacy and internet freedom advocate who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called on U.S. intelligence officials to end unlawful use of Americans’ personal data without their knowledge and consent.

“The U.S. government should not be funding and legitimizing a shady industry whose flagrant violations of Americans’ privacy are not just unethical, but illegal,” Wyden wrote to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines on Thursday.

The NSA attempted to defend the purchases by arguing that the information has significant value for national security and cybersecurity missions, and is used sparingly.

“At all stages, NSA takes steps to minimize the collection of U.S. person information, to include application of technical filters,” a spokesperson for the agency said.

Obtaining these records of Americans’ browsing data violates U.S. Federal Trade Commission standards, Wyden said to Haines. An FTC order earlier this month prohibited Virginia-based data broker Outlogic, formerly known as X-Mode Social, from selling sensitive location data that helps track a person’s location.

“Until recently, the data broker industry and the intelligence community’s purchase of data from these shady companies has existed in a legal gray area, which was in large part due to the secrecy surrounding the practice,” Wyden wrote. “App developers and advertising companies did not meaningfully disclose to users their sale and sharing of personal data with data brokers nor seek to obtain informed consent.”

Here’s Tucker talking about the NSA:



 

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