

NSA Chief describes what PRISM is - onecommentonly
http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence-chief-heres-what-prism-is-2013-6

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jhickner
Every statement by Clapper has mentioned repeatedly how the program is lawful
and falls under Section 702 of the FISA act approved by congress etc., etc.

But that assertion is meaningless because as a couple of brave senators have
let us know (Wyden, Udall), the very court that's supposed to oversee
activities under FISA, the FISC (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court) has
found the NSAs activities to be unconstitutional[1]. The response to this
finding wasn't reform, but to _classify the findings themselves_.

[1][https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/06/government-says-
secret...](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/06/government-says-secret-court-
opinion-law-underlying-prism-program-needs-stay)

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driverdan
How about posting a link to the original statement instead of this BI
blogspam?

[http://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-
releases/191-pre...](http://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-
releases/191-press-releases-2013/872-dni-statement-on-the-collection-of-
intelligence-pursuant-to-section-702-of-the-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-
act)

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cenhyperion
So, we're supposed to think this is okay because a secret court approves it? A
court that doesn't deny requests, a court that was just proven to approve
monitoring every phone call in the nation? We're supposed to believe that
court is protecting our privacy.

I don't care if this was all legal. Everything the Soviet Union did was legal
under their laws. I care that this was wrong.

~~~
RWeaver
And they make a big song and dance about every request having judge approval
and being overseen by the court, we already know that they just rubber stamp
the collection of 'everything' and gag the companies not to talk about it.

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cpleppert
This is basically what we already knew. It doesn't explain how the system is
integrated with data providers such as google.

~~~
rasterizer
He says it's not integrated:

 _PRISM is not an undisclosed collection or data mining program. It is an
internal government computer system used to facilitate the government’s
statutorily authorized collection of foreign intelligence information from
electronic communication service providers under court supervision_

[http://www.dni.gov/files/documents/Facts%20on%20the%20Collec...](http://www.dni.gov/files/documents/Facts%20on%20the%20Collection%20of%20Intelligence%20Pursuant%20to%20Section%20702.pdf)

~~~
acqq
[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/08/nsa-prism-
server...](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/08/nsa-prism-server-
collection-facebook-google)

"PRISM == Collection directly from the servers" written in the top secret
slide apparently made in his agency.

~~~
ralfd
To be fair this wouldn't be the first bullshit powerpoint presentation I have
seen in my life.

~~~
cracell
But he's not even denying that they directly collect information from those
companies. It could be that the slideshow is misleading and PRISM is not the
collection program but just the interface to the databanks from the collection
program.

But we aren't upset about what PRISM is doing we are upset about what the NSA
is doing. So clearing PRISM's name is pointless and could just be a way to
mislead without directly lying. Or he may just be lying.

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venomsnake
It has prevented WMD proliferation ... because we all know that Ahamaninejad
and Kim talk to each other on facebook.

~~~
wilfra
Kim Jong-Un's nephew has (had?) Facebook and other social media accounts[1].
He also bashed his uncle in an interview and lives in exile, but given how the
CIA found Bin Laden, it's not hard to imagine how monitoring his Facebook
activity and going all the way down the rabbit hole of every spec of
information they might find there, could eventually lead to some useful
intelligence on North Korea.

[1][http://gawker.com/5846077/kim-jong+ils-teenage-grandson-
is-h...](http://gawker.com/5846077/kim-jong+ils-teenage-grandson-is-having-a-
facebook-scandal)

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dwnoble
Just to clarify on the title: the statement was issued by the Director of
National Intelligence, not the NSA director.

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waterphone
FYI, regarding the headline: James Clapper is the Director of National
Intelligence, not the Director of the NSA. The DNI is the boss of the U.S.
intelligence community in general, including but not limited to the NSA.

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onecommentonly
PDF link of the description
[http://www.dni.gov/files/documents/Facts%20on%20the%20Collec...](http://www.dni.gov/files/documents/Facts%20on%20the%20Collection%20of%20Intelligence%20Pursuant%20to%20Section%20702.pdf)

~~~
deno
It’s non‐trivial to turn PDF into series of images. Why would they go through
that trouble? It’s insane.

Thanks.

~~~
betterunix
Erm how is it non-trivial? Ghostscript + Imagemagick would be two commands.

~~~
deno
Trivial means “there’s a button for that” in this context.

