14 DAY TRIAL // On Wednesday, reports revealed that the US National Security Agency (NSA) had collected records on every call made through Verizon’s networks since April 25. Users are not the only ones outraged by the news.
Former US Vice President Al Gore wrote the following message on Twitter: “In digital era, privacy must be a priority. Is it just me, or is secret blanket surveillance obscenely outrageous?”
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which says this is just a confirmation for what it has known for a long time, is even more upset.
“This revelation should end, once and for all, the government's long-discredited secrecy claims about its dragnet domestic surveillance programs. It should spur Congress and the American people to make the President finally tell the truth about the government's spying on innocent Americans,” EFF representatives wrote.
The EFF highlights the fact that there’s nothing to indicate that this is an isolated situation.
“It is very likely that business records orders like this exist for every major American telecommunication company, meaning that, if you make calls in the United States, the NSA has those records. And this has been going on for at least 7 years, and probably longer,” the EFF added.
The digital rights group cites Senator Ron Wyden who said the American people would be “stunned” and “angry” if they ever found out that the government had secretly interpreted the Patriot Act.
“Today is that day. The American people have confirmed how the government has secretly interpreted Section 215. And we’re angry. It’s time to stop hiding behind legal privileges and to come clean about Section 215 and FISA. It’s time to start the national dialogue about our rights in the digital age. And it’s time to end the NSA’s unconstitutional domestic surveillance program,” the EFF concluded.