Compliance Management, Privacy

NSA’s call-records program “not surveillance,” senator claims

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is not pleased about reoccurring claims that the National Security Agency's call-records program is unconstitutional.

In fact, in a USA Today op-ed published on Sunday, the Senator went as far as to say that NSA's data collection program, authorized under Section 215 of the Patriot Act, is “not surveillance.”  

In the opinion piece, she said the NSA does not collect the “content of any [phone] communication” or names or locations associated with calls. Instead, the agency collects phone numbers, times and duration of calls – data that is not protected under the Fourth Amendment, she said.

Feinstein is also reportedly drafting legislation akin to the controversial information-sharing bill CISPA, which has previously failed to gain Senate support.

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