Another Agency Spying On All Americans

[MSimon]

http://classicalvalues.com/2014/07/bastards/

Calling it “SPYING AND LYING,” Glenn Reynolds links an article that really ought to shock more people.

The unconstitutional DEA has virtually unlimited access to all of our telephone records, and agents are taught to routinely lie about where they got them.

Shortly after the Snowden leaks began exposing the NSA’s massive collection efforts, the New York Times uncovered the DEA’s direct access to AT&T telecom switches (via non-government employee “analysts” working for AT&T), from which it and other law enforcement agencies were able to gather phone call and location data.

Unlike the NSA’s bulk records programs (which are limited to holding five years worth of data), the Hemisphere database stretches back to 1987 and advertises instant access to “10 years of records.” And unlike the NSA’s program, there’s not even the slightest bit of oversight. All law enforcement needs to run a search of the Hemisphere database is an administrative subpoena — a piece of paper roughly equivalent to calling up Hemisphere analysts and asking them to run a few numbers. Administrative subpoenas are only subject to the oversight of the agency issuing them.

Those willing to give up Liberty for security will in the end get neither. Two hundred and fifty years ago we used to know that. These days? Not so much.

[mvanwink5]

The power lies not in jailing, but the threat of jailing friends, family, loved ones. Get in line or else... How do you think they got Putin and the whole of Europe to obey? Orwell did not really understand the true nature of '1984'