NSA mass phone surveillance revealed by Edward Snowden ruled illegal
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The US court of appeals has ruled that the bulk collection of telephone metadata is unlawful, in a landmark decision that clears the way for a full legal challenge against the National Security Agency.
A panel of three federal judges for the second circuit overturned an earlier ruling that the controversial surveillance practice first revealed to the US public by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013 could not be subject to judicial review.
But the judges also waded into the charged and ongoing debate over the reauthorization of a key Patriot Act provision currently before US legislators. That provision, which the appeals court ruled the NSA program surpassed, will expire on 1 June amid gridlock in Washington on what to do about it.
The judges opted not to end the domestic bulk collection while Congress decides its fate, calling judicial inaction “a lesser intrusion” on privacy than at the time the case was initially argued.
“In light of the asserted national security interests at stake, we deem it prudent to pause to allow an opportunity for debate in Congress that may (or may not) profoundly alter the legal landscape,” the judges ruled.
But they also sent a tacit warning to Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader who is pushing to re-authorize the provision, known as Section 215, without modification: “There will be time then to address appellants’ constitutional issues.”
“We hold that the text of section 215 cannot bear the weight the government asks us to assign to it, and that it does not authorize the telephone metadata program,” concluded their judgement.
“Such a monumental shift in our approach to combating terrorism requires a clearer signal from Congress than a recycling of oft‐used language long held in similar contexts to mean something far narrower,” the judges added.
“We conclude that to allow the government to collect phone records only because they may become relevant to a possible authorized investigation in the future fails even the permissive ‘relevance’ test.
“We agree with appellants that the government’s argument is ‘irreconcilable with the statute’s plain text’.”
The ruling, one of several in federal courts since the Guardian exposed the domestic bulk collection thanks to Snowden, immediately took on political freight.
Senator Rand Paul, a Republican presidential candidate who has made opposition to over-broad surveillance central to his platform, tweeted: “The phone records of law abiding citizens are none of the NSA’s business! Pleased with the ruling this morning.”
The White House stressed that it too supported an overhaul of the program, though declined to comment on the blow to the NSA’s existing legal authority.
“We are in the process of evaluating the decision handed down this morning,” assistant press secretary Ned Price told the Guardian.
“Without commenting on the ruling today, the president has been clear that he believes we should end the Section 215 bulk telephony metadata program as it currently exists by creating an alternative mechanism to preserve the program’s essential capabilities without the government holding the bulk data.
“We continue to work closely with members of Congress from both parties to do just that, and we have been encouraged by good progress on bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would implement these important reforms,” added Price.
But opponents in Congress were emphatic that the ruling represented a breakthrough in their fight to rein in executive overreach on surveillance.
“Today’s court decision reaffirms what I’ve been saying since the Snowden leaks came to light. Congress never intended Section 215 to allow bulk collection,” said Republican Jim Sensenbrenner.
“This program is illegal and based on a blatant misinterpretation of the law. It’s time for Congress to pass the USA Freedom Act in order to protect both civil liberties and national security with legally authorized surveillance.”
“This is a huge step for individual Americans’ rights,” added leading Senate critic Ron Wyden.
“Now that this program is finally being examined in the sunlight, the executive branch’s claims about its legality and effectiveness are crumbling. The president should end mass surveillance immediately. If not, Congress needs to finish the job and finally end this dragnet.”
Democrat Adam Schiff also predicted the ruling would serve as a catalyst to finally clarifying what is permissible by the NSA.
“It is my hope that next week the House will pass the USA Freedom Act, and Congress will use both our deadline and this court opinion as the catalyst for an end to bulk collection and the beginning of serious reform,” he said.
The original ruling against the ACLU from Judge William Pauley, a Clinton appointee to the southern district of New York, argued that al-Qaida’s “bold jujitsu” strategy to marry seventh century ideology with 21st century technology made it imperative that government authorities be allowed to push privacy boundaries.
But Thursday’s appeal court ruling in New York, by circuit judges Robert Sack and Gerard Lynch and district judge Vernon Broderick, overturns that and forces the district court to hear a full challenge to the constitutionality of the NSA’s behaviour.
“The government has pointed to no affirmative evidence... that suggests that Congress intended to preclude judicial review,” said Lynch.
A panel of three federal judges for the second circuit overturned an earlier ruling that the controversial surveillance practice first revealed to the US public by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013 could not be subject to judicial review.
But the judges also waded into the charged and ongoing debate over the reauthorization of a key Patriot Act provision currently before US legislators. That provision, which the appeals court ruled the NSA program surpassed, will expire on 1 June amid gridlock in Washington on what to do about it.
The judges opted not to end the domestic bulk collection while Congress decides its fate, calling judicial inaction “a lesser intrusion” on privacy than at the time the case was initially argued.
“In light of the asserted national security interests at stake, we deem it prudent to pause to allow an opportunity for debate in Congress that may (or may not) profoundly alter the legal landscape,” the judges ruled.
But they also sent a tacit warning to Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader who is pushing to re-authorize the provision, known as Section 215, without modification: “There will be time then to address appellants’ constitutional issues.”
“We hold that the text of section 215 cannot bear the weight the government asks us to assign to it, and that it does not authorize the telephone metadata program,” concluded their judgement.
“Such a monumental shift in our approach to combating terrorism requires a clearer signal from Congress than a recycling of oft‐used language long held in similar contexts to mean something far narrower,” the judges added.
“We conclude that to allow the government to collect phone records only because they may become relevant to a possible authorized investigation in the future fails even the permissive ‘relevance’ test.
“We agree with appellants that the government’s argument is ‘irreconcilable with the statute’s plain text’.”
The ruling, one of several in federal courts since the Guardian exposed the domestic bulk collection thanks to Snowden, immediately took on political freight.
Senator Rand Paul, a Republican presidential candidate who has made opposition to over-broad surveillance central to his platform, tweeted: “The phone records of law abiding citizens are none of the NSA’s business! Pleased with the ruling this morning.”
The White House stressed that it too supported an overhaul of the program, though declined to comment on the blow to the NSA’s existing legal authority.
“We are in the process of evaluating the decision handed down this morning,” assistant press secretary Ned Price told the Guardian.
“Without commenting on the ruling today, the president has been clear that he believes we should end the Section 215 bulk telephony metadata program as it currently exists by creating an alternative mechanism to preserve the program’s essential capabilities without the government holding the bulk data.
“We continue to work closely with members of Congress from both parties to do just that, and we have been encouraged by good progress on bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would implement these important reforms,” added Price.
But opponents in Congress were emphatic that the ruling represented a breakthrough in their fight to rein in executive overreach on surveillance.
“Today’s court decision reaffirms what I’ve been saying since the Snowden leaks came to light. Congress never intended Section 215 to allow bulk collection,” said Republican Jim Sensenbrenner.
“This program is illegal and based on a blatant misinterpretation of the law. It’s time for Congress to pass the USA Freedom Act in order to protect both civil liberties and national security with legally authorized surveillance.”
“This is a huge step for individual Americans’ rights,” added leading Senate critic Ron Wyden.
“Now that this program is finally being examined in the sunlight, the executive branch’s claims about its legality and effectiveness are crumbling. The president should end mass surveillance immediately. If not, Congress needs to finish the job and finally end this dragnet.”
Democrat Adam Schiff also predicted the ruling would serve as a catalyst to finally clarifying what is permissible by the NSA.
“It is my hope that next week the House will pass the USA Freedom Act, and Congress will use both our deadline and this court opinion as the catalyst for an end to bulk collection and the beginning of serious reform,” he said.
The original ruling against the ACLU from Judge William Pauley, a Clinton appointee to the southern district of New York, argued that al-Qaida’s “bold jujitsu” strategy to marry seventh century ideology with 21st century technology made it imperative that government authorities be allowed to push privacy boundaries.
But Thursday’s appeal court ruling in New York, by circuit judges Robert Sack and Gerard Lynch and district judge Vernon Broderick, overturns that and forces the district court to hear a full challenge to the constitutionality of the NSA’s behaviour.
“The government has pointed to no affirmative evidence... that suggests that Congress intended to preclude judicial review,” said Lynch.
Comments
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Won't stop them, though.
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Won't stop them, though.
Basically. They'll do it until they get caught again. Apologize. Stop for a while. Start doing it again. -
Props to Snowden though. Put his liife on the line for some real change and got that. Him and bradley manning are real american heroes.
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So Snowden getting a pardon or nah?
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One day a president, senator, governor will be blackmailed and maybe this will change.
I see ? eating Petraeus got probation for his treachery -
So when they gon write the law (or loophole) to make it legal
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Doesn't make a difference, we all know the feds are still gonna break the law lol...the US federal govt is run by criminals and warlords.
I still salute Snowden for bringing this to light, he's a true American hero. -
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Govt: hey snowden, u can come back now, we ain't tripping no more
Snowden: ok I'll be there next week, thanks!
2 weeks later
Cnn: BREAKING NEWS! EDWARD SNOWDEN FOUND DEAD IN HIS APARTMENT DUE TO HEROINE OVERDOSE
Nbc: WHERES THE NSA? FBI FINDS EMAILS, SNOWDEN WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ISIS
