Glenn Greenwald's Blog, page 58

Liberal icon Frank Church on the NSA | Glenn Greenwald

Almost 40 years ago, the Idaho Senator warned of the dangers of allowing the NSA to turn inward

In the mid-1970s, the US Senate formed the Select Intelligence Committee to investigate reports of the widespread domestic surveillance abuses that had emerged in the wake of the Nixon scandals. The Committee was chaired by 4-term Idaho Democratic Sen. Frank Church who was, among other things, a former military intelligence officer and one of the Senate's earliest opponents of the Vietnam War, as we...

On the Espionage Act charges against Edward Snowden | Glenn Greenwald

Who is actually bringing 'injury to America': those who are secretly building a massive surveillance system or those who inform citizens that it's being done?

The US government has charged Edward Snowden with three felonies, including two under the Espionage Act, the 1917 statute enacted to criminalize dissent against World War I. My priority at the moment is working on our next set of stories, so I just want to briefly note a few points about this.

Prior to Barack Obama's inauguration, there w...

The top secret rules that allow NSA to use US data without a warrant

Fisa court submissions show broad scope of procedures governing NSA's surveillance of Americans' communication

• Document one: procedures used by NSA to target non-US persons
• Document two: procedures used by NSA to minimise data collected from US persons

Top secret documents submitted to the court that oversees surveillance by US intelligence agencies show the judges have signed off on broad orders which allow the NSA to make use of information "inadvertently" collected from domestic US commun...

Revealed: the top secret rules that allow NSA to use US data without a warrant

Fisa court submissions show broad scope of procedures governing NSA's surveillance of Americans' communication

• Document one: procedures used by NSA to target non-US persons
• Document two: procedures used by NSA to minimise data collected from US persons

Top secret documents submitted to the court that oversees surveillance by US intelligence agencies show the judges have signed off on broad orders which allow the NSA to make use of information "inadvertently" collected from domestic US commun...

Fisa court oversight: a look inside a secret and empty process | Glenn Greenwald

Obama and other NSA defenders insist there are robust limitations on surveillance but the documents show otherwise

Since we began began publishing stories about the NSA's massive domestic spying apparatus, various NSA defenders – beginning with President Obama - have sought to assure the public that this is all done under robust judicial oversight. "When it comes to telephone calls, nobody is listening to your telephone calls," he proclaimed on June 7 when responding to our story about the bu...

On Prism, partisanship and propaganda | Glenn Greenwald

Addressing many of the issues arising from last week's NSA stories

(updated below - Update II - Update III)

I haven't been able to write this week here because I've been participating in the debate over the fallout from last week's NSA stories, and because we are very busy working on and writing the next series of stories that will begin appearing very shortly. I did, though, want to note a few points, and particularly highlight what Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez said after Congress on Wednes...

Edward Snowden's worst fear has not been realised – thankfully | Glenn Greenwald

The NSA whistleblower's only concern was that his disclosures would be met with apathy. Instead, they're leading to real reform

This column was written by Glenn Greenwald for the Guardian's newspaper edition

In my first substantive discussion with Edward Snowden, which took place via encrypted online chat, he told me he had only one fear. It was that the disclosures he was making, momentous though they were, would fail to trigger a worldwide debate because the public had already been taught to...

The Guardian Audio Edition: NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden explains his motives - 11 June 2013

Audio versions of a selection of articles from the Guardian newspaper and website

Reading this on a mobile? Click here to listen

In this week's edition:

• Edward Snowden, the source behind the biggest intelligence leak in the NSA's history, explains his motives, his uncertain future and why he never intended on hiding in the shadows. By Glenn Greenwald, Ewen Macaskill and Laura Poitras. Click here to read article.

• The band who laid the foundations of heavy metal release their first studio album...

Edward Snowden, NSA files source: 'If they want to get you, in time they will'

Source for the Guardian's NSA files on why he carried out the biggest intelligence leak in a generation – and what comes next

Edward Snowden was interviewed over several days in Hong Kong by Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill.

Q: Why did you decide to become a whistleblower?

A: "The NSA has built an infrastructure that allows it to intercept almost everything. With this capability, the vast majority of human communications are automatically ingested without targeting. If I wanted to see your em...

Edward Snowden, NSA whistleblower: 'I do not expect to see home again'

Source for the Guardian's NSA files on why he carried out the biggest intelligence leak in a generation – and what comes next

Edward Snowden was interviewed over several days in Hong Kong by Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill.

Q: Why did you decide to become a whistleblower?

A: "The NSA has built an infrastructure that allows it to intercept almost everything. With this capability, the vast majority of human communications are automatically ingested without targeting. If I wanted to see your em...