Obama to Offer Plan Meant to Ease Concerns on Surveillance

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/10/us/politics/obama-news-conference.html?hp&_r=1&

by nsp • 13 years ago

22 12 13 years ago

adamnemecek• 13 years ago

Get ready to be underwhelmed.

MisterWebz• 13 years ago

The Obama administration was also planning to release a previously classified legal analysis explaining why the government believes it is lawful under a provision of the Patriot Act known as Section 215 for the N.S.A. to collect and store logs of every phone call dialed or received in the United States.

Good idea, let's concentrate on phone records and ignore the collection of worldwide internet traffic.

northwest• 13 years ago

1. Make some cheap meaningless concessions

2. Let people fall asleep again

3. Continue to build the surveillance state

4. This time, hide it even better

albeertoni2• 13 years ago

"Okay, but seriously guys this time we're telling the truth."

wetherbeei2• 13 years ago

His "4 steps":

1. Work with congress to enact reforms to PATRIOT Act. He said the US is not allowed to listen to any phone calls without a warrant.

2. Work with congress to improve the public's confidence in FISA. Consider changes: a judge reviewing a request only hears one side of the story, but we could allow an outside party to defend civil liberties and privacy "in certain cases".

3. Be more transparent. Create a website to provide more transparency.

4. Form an outside group of intelligence experts to review surveillance technologies.

wetherbeei2• 13 years ago

More from the Q&A:

Asked about if Snowden is a Patriot: "No he is not. I called for a thorough review of surveillance programs before Snowden leaks. A thoughtful, fact-based debate. I signed an executive order that provided protections for whistleblowers in the intelligence community, so there were better avenues for leaking information."

albeertoni2• 13 years ago

It's hard to find something to say that isn't hopeless and nihilistic, so I'll just say this: it's disappointing to see someone who used to be a professor of constitutional law ignore the obvious dangers to free speech of a set of programs and secret laws that he himself oversees.

moosehawk• 13 years ago

At the same time, the N.S.A. was expected to release a paper outlining its role and authorities, officials said. The six- to seven-page document was described as setting up a “foundation” to help people understand the legal framework for its activities. Next week, the agency will open a Web site designed to explain itself better to the public amid Mr. Snowden’s disclosures.

Legal != Right. This whole article makes it sound like their plan is to put lipstick on the pig so it looks more beautiful to the public, where the correct solution would be to find a new pig.

evanjacobs• 13 years ago

The administration has now lost all credibility on this issue.

NY Times Editorial Board 6/7/2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/07/opinion/president-obamas-d...

hga• 13 years ago

I suspect the original "The administration has now lost all credibility" (http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2013/06/ny-times-changes...) was more accurate.

Zigurd• 13 years ago

This is one track of a two-track strategy:

1. Close the exits, i.e. Lavabit

2. Spray soporific gas

throwwit• 13 years ago

In other news... unpredictability of quantum wave theory seen as undesirable. New program established to collapse all wave equations.