Privacy of telecommunications

Four white men in suits sit on a panel with a green background

Legislating peace and security: Part II

This week, Critical State digs into new research about legislative oversight when it comes to security issues. As historian Peter Roady writes in a new article in the Journal of Policy History, the National Security Agency has escaped congressional oversight with two words: "It's classified."

Legislating peace and security: Part II
Edward Snowden

A White House advisory panel suggests 46 ways to rein in the NSA

A White House advisory panel suggests 46 ways to rein in the NSA
Phone Booth

So what if the government tracks my phone calls?

So what if the government tracks my phone calls?
Senator Ron Wyden

The Snowden leaks gave a senator the chance to openly question the NSA

The Snowden leaks gave a senator the chance to openly question the NSA
Union army telegraph operators just after the battle of Gettysburg. The Civil War is sometimes described as the first information war. Intercepted messages landed on Abraham Lincoln's desk.

The history of electronic surveillance, from Abraham Lincoln's wiretaps to Operation Shamrock

The history of electronic surveillance, from Abraham Lincoln's wiretaps to Operation Shamrock
Edward Snowden, is seen in front of the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in central Moscow

So what's next for Edward Snowden after leaking NSA secrets? Apparently, a job

Snowden is a bit of a hero in Russia, though he's hardly been seen since receiving asylum there. Reports in the Russian press say Snowden will start work for one of the largest websites in Russia next month.

So what's next for Edward Snowden after leaking NSA secrets? Apparently, a job

New Documents Show Sweeping NSA Surveillance of Americans

New Documents Show Sweeping NSA Surveillance of Americans

Former FISA judge offers solution to restore confidence in court

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court has a PR problem. Its very existence as a "secret court" has rankled critics, who've demanded greater transparency. James Carr, who served on the court from 2002 to 2008 has offered his own solution to mend the public's confidence in the court.

Former FISA judge offers solution to restore confidence in court

Recent rulings expand power of secretive FISA court

The New York Times this weekend revealed an expansion of power concentrated in the FISA court, the judges charged with reviewing government surveillance requests and approving or rejecting them. In virtually all cases, though, they're approved. And new rulings show how that power is expanding.

Recent rulings expand power of secretive FISA court

NSA Leaker Thomas Drake on Snowden's Case

NSA Leaker Thomas Drake on Snowden's Case

Intelligence officials defend surveillance programs as a necessity in war on terror

At least two terrorist attacks, including a plot against the New York Stock Exchange, were thwarted thanks to government surveillance programs, U.S. officials said at an Intelligence Committee meeting Tuesday. The government has been trying to reframe the conversation around the programs after their existence was made public by Edward Snowden.

Intelligence officials defend surveillance programs as a necessity in war on terror

NSA Leak: What's the Big Deal About Big Data?

Big data has been the catchphrase of the week since the story broke about NSA surveillance. But what exactly is big data and what does the collection of big data mean for the future? Anchor Marco Werman talks with author, Viktor Mayer-Schonberger.

NSA Leak: What's the Big Deal About Big Data?

NSA accused of tracking wide range of phone conversations, Internet connections

The NSA has been publicly accused of tracking data on Americans. The agency requested -- and was granted -- a court order requiring a unit of Verizon to turn over all of its records on a daily basis. Plus, the NSA and the FBI are accused of operating a top-secret program to track user data from the servers of nine leading Internet companies.

NSA accused of tracking wide range of phone conversations, Internet connections

U.S. Secretly Collecting Telephone Records of Millions of Americans

U.S. Secretly Collecting Telephone Records of Millions of Americans

Cell Phone Data a Legal Gray Area in the Courts

Cell Phone Data a Legal Gray Area in the Courts