

NSA "can – and does – listen to everyone from senators to lovers" (1995) - LoganCale
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1995-12-12/news/1995346001_1_nsa-eavesdropping-listening-national-security-agency

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austenallred
The most interesting aspect of this is that immediately after the NSA seems to
agree that it lets trainees listen to random phone calls it claims it
"absolutely does not" spy on citizens. What is spying, then, according to the
NSA definition?

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Wingman4l7
Whatever definition won't get them into trouble for it.

~~~
ihsw
Don't forget that they need to paint their enemies into a corner by defining
what 'spying' means.

Permanent offense is the best defense.

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hawkharris
At some point you & your partner will argue over who said they'd wash the
dishes. Don't fret. Just call your NSA rep and have him read the transcript.

~~~
rdtsc
There was an old running joke among mathematicians in university math
departments

"Q: How does one apply for a job with the NSA?"

"A: Pick up the phone, call your mother, and ask for the applications forms"

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aasarava
" _Shamrock covered decades-old secret agreements with the nation 's large
telegraph companies under which NSA and its predecessor agencies automatically
received copies of international telegrams._

" _At the peak of the operation, in the early 1970s, NSA analysts were
reviewing 150,000 telegrams a month selected by computers scanning for
keywords of interest to U.S. intelligence. Only in 1975, as Senator Church 's
committee began its inquiry, was Shamrock stopped._"

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irishcoffee
Holy shit, NSA is in the business of signals intelligence? Who knew?

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general_failure
Alright guys, can we put an end to this NSA and Snowden stuff? Why are we
pretending this is some forum to discuss politics and ethics? This is a forum
for software and entrepreneurs. Can HN go back to it's roots?

Now, I am sure someone will immediately downvote and point out that this stuff
is 'interesting' and related to hackers because this is data theft. If you are
concerned, do something about NSA/Snowden. And then show HN what you have
done. You will have my highest regards. But just reading and commenting on
100's of articles rehashing the same thing is a pointless waste of time. This
is all getting very tiring. We have reddit for just this.

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ewoodrich
Though the tone and relevance of your post may not have been spot on, I have
to agree. I spend an inordinate amount of my free time reading news and in-
depth political commentary, but I've found myself returning to HN less and
less as sophomoric legal analysis and cyber-anarchist hero worship is
regurgitated to the front page ad nauseam.

This is not to say I agree with "Prism" or dragnet surveillance, but I've
found HN to be the last place I've found actual insight on the issue as of
late.

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moens
Dissing "cyber-anarchist hero worship" is awesomely ironic. ;)

