The NSA Leaks Are Forcing More Transparency on Both Companies and The Government

UPDATE: CNET is reporting that the NSA has admitted it can listen to domestic US phone calls without a court order in a classified briefing on Thursday. Though it’s unclear if Nadler’s statement was misinterpreted.

Thanks to the leaks from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, we have learned an incredible amount about the secret NSA domestic surveillance program in the past week and a half, most critically that the NSA is collecting all the Verizon phone call records of millions of innocent Americans. In addition, in recent days, the NSA leaks have shown that the Director of National Intelligence and NSA have been misleading or lying to Congress, sparked lawsuits, and inspired new legislation that would curtail the abuses exposed in the news reports.

But equally important is what we have learned in response to the leaks. Ever since the Guardian started publishing its stories, the administration and Congress have been forced into an accountability corner. They’ve had to reveal even more about the surveillance programs, and we’re finally getting some transparency that the government has been steadfastly blocking for years. This is demonstrable proof that leaks are often vital to democracy and an informed public.

Continue reading:  https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/blog/2013/06/nsa-leaks-are-forcing-more-transparency-both-companies-and-government

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