The National Security Agency (NSA) is not the only government agency that spies on people both home and abroad. Though the NSA has been the prime focus of privacy intrusion, a recent New York Times article also points to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) doing the same thing.
According to the report, AT&T have been paid $10 million annually by the CIA to assist with overseas counter-terrorism investigations by exploiting the company's vast database of phone records under voluntary contract. Beginning as early as 2010, the relationship focuses on overseas calls not necessarily covered by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or the Patriot Act. Most call logs provided by the number two domestic mobile service provider involve foreign-to-foreign calls and does not disclose the identity of Americans calling from the United States.
C.I.A. spokesman Dean Boyd declined to comment on the report but said, "The C.I.A. protects the nation and upholds privacy rights of Americans by ensuring that its intelligence collection activities are focused on acquiring foreign intelligence and counterintelligence in accordance to U.S. laws."
"The C.I.A. is expressly forbidden from undertaking intelligence collection activities inside the United States "for the purpose of acquiring information concerning the domestic activities of U.S. persons,' and the C.I.A. does not do so," he said.
AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel also issued a response, as the report made its rounds, stating that it does not "comment on questions concerning national security."
"We ensure that we maintain customer information in compliance with the laws of the United States and other countries where information may be maintained," said Siegel. "Like all telecom providers, we routinely charge governments for producing the information provided.
This isn't the first time AT&T has worked with the government. In the past, AT&T had allowed the NSA to install secret equipment in its phone and internet switching facilities, helping the Bush administration's warrant-less surveillance program.
