Following the leaks of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, the U.S. government has released a treasure trove of classified documents in a bid to quell public dissent. But answers to key questions about NSA surveillance have been blacked out from these …
These are the telecommunication companies that, by order of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, must provide to the NSA telephone metadata for all calls originating or terminating in the United States, as described in a Jan. 3, 2014 FISA court order.
These are the telecommunication companies that, by order of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, must provide to the NSA telephone metadata for all calls originating or terminating in the United States, as described in a Jan. 3, 2014 FISA court order.
Here, the Obama administration explains Reasonable Articulable Suspicion, a standard by which the government may query the trillion-plus metadata phone records to combat terrorism, as outlined in a Feb. 5, 2014 FISA court filing.
Here, the Obama administration explains Reasonable Articulable Suspicion, a standard by which the government may query the trillion-plus metadata phone records to combat terrorism, as outlined in a Feb. 5, 2014 FISA court filing.
This page identifies those being targeted for surveillance of electronic communication such as email, despite allegations that the NSA wrongly scooped up "tens of thousands" of such communications by American citizens, as detailed in a Oct. 3, 2011 FISA Court order.
This page identifies those being targeted for surveillance of electronic communication such as email, despite allegations that the NSA wrongly scooped up "tens of thousands" of such communications by American citizens, as detailed in a Oct. 3, 2011 FISA Court order.
Here is a page noting the "sole purpose" of the bulk telephone metadata program, as described in a August 29, 2013 FISA Court opinion.
Here is a page noting the "sole purpose" of the bulk telephone metadata program, as described in a August 29, 2013 FISA Court opinion.
This FISA court opinion from March, 2009, cites the number of metadata records the NSA receives "per day," and explains what they don't pertain to.
This FISA court opinion from March, 2009, cites the number of metadata records the NSA receives "per day," and explains what they don't pertain to.
Here are the docket numbers referenced in what is believed to be the first FISA court opinion authorizing the bulk telephone metadata program, as included in a May 24, 2006 FISA court opinion.
Here are the docket numbers referenced in what is believed to be the first FISA court opinion authorizing the bulk telephone metadata program, as included in a May 24, 2006 FISA court opinion.
Sometimes the most interesting part of a classified document is what is blacked out. That’s where you can tell, by context, what kind of information is still considered too secret for public consumption.
Responding to the revelations from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, the U.S. government has provided unprecedented transparency about the nation’s spying apparatus—all in a bid to quell public dissent—by releasing thousands of pages of once-classified documents.
The government even has released formerly secret documents criticizing itself for breaching Americans’ privacy rights while also divulging the once-secret legal basis for its bulk telephone metadata collection program. But many documents contain redactions—or black marks—in key places.
As of January, the government said it has released 2,700 pages of once-classified documents, including 44 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court opinions and orders, 11 government filings to that court, 24 once-classified documents provided to Congress, and 20 other reports that include training slides and other materials. Clearly, the documents shed light on the NSA, although plenty of secrets remain secret.
But even when the government divulges its secrets, it rarely provides the full picture.
In that vein, WIRED is publishing a gallery highlighting the redaction of important information about NSA snooping.
David Kravets is a WIRED senior staff writer and founder of the fake news site TheYellowDailyNews.com. He's a dad of two boys and has been a reporter since the manual typewriter days. His PGP fingerprint is 066F 245D 22A0 7511 B36B CB4F 0F53 B742 5919 4A18.