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NSA chief approves limiting of eavesdropping

1 March 2014, 11:21

At a meeting of a congressional committee on Thursday, NSA chief, General Keith Alexander, admitted that this intelligence agency should discuss a possibility of extracting less, or more targeted metadata from communication companies. Classified documents leaked last summer by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed that the intelligence agency currently collects call information on millions of Americans.

Among that information, known as metadata, is the duration of the call, the time the call was made, who the phone call was to, and where it originated.

Earlier this week, US intelligence and law enforcement leaders announced possible reforms to the NSA. US President Obama instructed the attorney general and other administration officials to work out theories on how to improve phone metadata collection program.

There are different proposals on the subject in the government circles already. The most radical idea is to ban the collection of telephony metadata entirely. Another option is to turn the vast datalog over to a government agency other than the NSA – either the FBI or Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

Alexander's testimony seems to indicate that the scenario the administration is inclined to adopt is leaving the metadata with the phone company, with a permission to the NSA to demand information about numbers considered to be involved in terrorist activities.

General Alexander's own opinion on the issue is not quite clear, because of his reputation as a surveillance hawk. Last October, he said the NSA could scale back the eavesdropping on foreign leaders, but that the unlimited interception should continue, even if the data is handed over to a third party.

'The true tragedy in all this is the way the press has articulated [the NSA] as the villains when what they are doing is protecting the country and [doing] what we have asked them to do,' Alexander said.

General Alexander is reported to relinquish his post as director of the NSA by March or April 2014.

Voice of Russia, RT, National Journal, Techworld.com

Source: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_01/NSA-chief- approves-limiting-of-eavesdropping-4035/