The National Security Agency (NSA) has released new reports detailing years of potentially illegal activity, spying on Americans. These admissions included acknowledgment of eavesdropping on overseas communications without the use of warrants.
The NSA report, with much of the text redacted, was released on Christmas Eve, as many Americans were celebrating with family and friends. These papers were released following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Edward Snowden obtained and released significant amounts of information about the NSA in 2012, which revealed widespread surveillance of private communications by the spy agency. This new release reveals a significant amount of new information never before seen by the general public.
"The government conducts sweeping surveillance under this authority - surveillance that increasingly puts Americans' data in the hands of the NSA. Despite that fact, this spying is conducted almost entirely in secret and without legislative or judicial oversight," Patrick Toomey, staff attorney for the ACLU's National Security Project, said.
The NSA delivered papers to the President's Intelligence Oversight Board (IOB) on their activities, as required by Executive Order 12333.
One analyst at the agency conducted surveillance of a private U.S.-based organization without authorization. No evidence of wrong-doing was found in the case, which occurred in 2012.
Stalking love interests is so common among NSA agents that the practice has been given a nickname by the agency - LOVEINT. This new release by the NSA shows one female agent used her position to search her husband's personal telephone contact list for targeting for surveillance.
"The vast majority of compliance incidents involve unintentional technical or human error. In the very few cases that involve the intentional misuse of a signals intelligence system, a thorough investigation is completed, the results are reported to the IOB and the Department of Justice as required, and appropriate disciplinary or administrative action is taken," the NSA declared in an executive summary to the statement delivered to the White House.
The U.S. Congress has considered, but never passed, legal reforms to curb domestic surveillance by the NSA. In January 2014, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board published a 238-page report recommending that the spy agency cease bulk collection of data from phone calls made by most American citizens.
The NSA is forbidden by law from spying directly on phone communications made by Americans within the United States. Under a 1981 executive order from then-President Ronald Reagan, foreign communications may be intercepted by the spy agency, which can delivery information on Americans.
Although the new release shows some policy and legal violations, the degree or frequency of illegal activity was not apparent from the documents.
