Three of the options would change ownership of the data to a third party, while a fourth would kill the bulk data collection altogether, says the Wall Street Journal. February 26, 2014 8:31 AM PST (Credit: CBS) The White House has reportedly received a proposal suggesting four ways to overhaul the National Security Agency's controversial phone record surveillance program. Citing information from "officials familiar with the discussions," The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the proposal from the Office of Director of National Intelligence and the Justice Department was due by March 28 but was delivered earlier than expected. Following widespread criticism over the NSA's bulk record collection, the Obama Administration had asked US intelligence agencies and the DOJ to come up with alternatives that would take the actual data ownership away from the NSA. The first option would keep the data in the hands of the phone companies. The NSA would then request access to specific records based on any connection to terrorists. But the phone companies are against this proposal, the Journal said, since the legal burden of turning over the data would still fall on them. The chairman of the House intelligence committee also told the Journal that this option doesn't have the necessary support in Congress. The second option would warehouse the data with a government agency other than the NSA, such as the FBI or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. A third option would see the data turned over to a party other than the government or the phone companies. But privacy groups have complained that this third party could end up as just an extension of the NSA, the Journal said. All three options might also keep privacy fears alive since the bulk data would still be retained but would merely change hands. The final option calls on the White House to curtail the NSA's bulk surveillance program altogether and instead use other means to gather information on suspected terrorists. Each of the four options clearly has its own pitfalls, and none is likely to satisfy everyone. Opponents of the NSA's bulk data collection are calling for its end, while proponents claim that the program is needed to combat terrorism. In such a climate, the onus is now on the White House to decide which option may be the most feasible and the most politicially acceptable.
Three of the options would change ownership of the data to a third party, while a fourth would kill the bulk data collection altogether, says the Wall Street Journal.
The White House has reportedly received a proposal suggesting four ways to overhaul the National Security Agency's controversial phone record surveillance program.
Citing information from "officials familiar with the discussions," The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the proposal from the Office of Director of National Intelligence and the Justice Department was due by March 28 but was delivered earlier than expected.
Following widespread criticism over the NSA's bulk record collection, the Obama Administration had asked US intelligence agencies and the DOJ to come up with alternatives that would take the actual data ownership away from the NSA.
The first option would keep the data in the hands of the phone companies. The NSA would then request access to specific records based on any connection to terrorists.
But the phone companies are against this proposal, the Journal said, since the legal burden of turning over the data would still fall on them. The chairman of the House intelligence committee also told the Journal that this option doesn't have the necessary support in Congress.
The second option would warehouse the data with a government agency other than the NSA, such as the FBI or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. A third option would see the data turned over to a party other than the government or the phone companies. But privacy groups have complained that this third party could end up as just an extension of the NSA, the Journal said.
All three options might also keep privacy fears alive since the bulk data would still be retained but would merely change hands.
The final option calls on the White House to curtail the NSA's bulk surveillance program altogether and instead use other means to gather information on suspected terrorists.
Each of the four options clearly has its own pitfalls, and none is likely to satisfy everyone. Opponents of the NSA's bulk data collection are calling for its end, while proponents claim that the program is needed to combat terrorism. In such a climate, the onus is now on the White House to decide which option may be the most feasible and the most politicially acceptable.
