Jun 2, 2015:
By a vote of 67-32, the U.S. Senate passed H.R.2048 - USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 and President Obama signed the bill. The bill states that over the next six months the current NSA call metadata surveillance program will end, but phone metadata stored by telecommunications companies can still be accessed on a case-by-case basis with a court order.
Congress turns away from post-9/11 law, retooling U.S. surveillance powers | The Washington Post
Jun 1, 2015:
Yesterday, by a vote of 77-17, the U.S. Senate agreed to proceed with the passage of H.R.2048 - USA FREEDOM Act of 2015, but passage of the bill was thwarted by Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
Three key provisions of the USA Patriot Act expired today:
- Bulk Data Collection
- "Lone Wolf" provision
- "Roving Wiretaps" provision
Senators pledge to amend House bill after some NSA powers halted | The Washington Post
Patriot Act provisions expire as Senate compromise comes late | USA Today
Here's What Could Happen If the Patriot Act Expires | Time
May 13, 2015:
By a vote of 338-88, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.2048 - USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 which prohibits U.S. domestic bulk phone metadata collection by the National Security Agency. The bill does not prohibit the NSA from accessing the data (just from collection), so the data could still be acquired from U.S. telecommunications companies via court-issued warrants. Now the bill goes to the U.S. Senate.
House Votes to End N.S.A.'s Bulk Phone Data Collection | The New York Times
May 7, 2015:
In New York, a federal appeals court ruled that the practice of U.S. domestic bulk phone metadata collection is illegal. The ruling targets section 215 of the USA Patriot Act which until now was used to justify the data collection.
N.S.A. Collection of Bulk Call Data Is Ruled Illegal | The New York Times
June 9, 2013:
Edward Snowden announced that he is the source of the recent disclosures of the U.S. National Security Agency's bulk phone metadata collection surveillance program.
Ex-Worker at C.I.A. Says He Leaked Data on Surveillance | The New York Times
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