Federal Panel Says
NSA Data Collection Illegal,
Should be Ended
EXCERPTS:
"The National Security Agency's bulk collection of phone records is illegal and should be ended, an independent federal watchdog agency concluded in a report released Thursday. The report by the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) also concluded the NSA program has resulted in only "minimal" benefits to efforts to protect the nation from terror attacks,according to the New York Times, which obtained an advance copy of the 238-page document."
“We simply disagree with the board’s analysis on the legality of the program,” Jay Carney, the president’s press secretary said Thursday."
"The program "lacks a viable legal foundation under Section 215, implicates constitutional concerns under the First and Fourth Amendments, raises serious threats to privacy and civil liberties as a policy matter, and has shown only limited value," the privacy board concluded."As a result, the board recommends that the government end the program.""
