Phone Call Records @ MindSay

So, we know that the NSA has collected a lot of people's phone records over the years. For some reason, the press seems to be the only ones worried about that (especially after finding out that the NSA was tracking down their anonymous informants based on these records). For the average person, though, this doesn't seem to change their lives, so they don't really care about it.

I think I may have found a reason to care.

Now, I am not a lawyer, but my understanding of the law is that when information is collected by the Federal government, not related to an active criminal investigation, that information is public access. For instance, taxpayer funds go into the census, and therefore, the census is public information.

Clearly there is not an ongoing criminal investigation of all Americans ( the United States v. all the People of the United States ), and the NSA seems to act as though it has legally obtained these records (you know, on the off chance that one of you 288 million people is a terrorist). Therefore, this information must be of public record, right?

Here's the great news: we can turn it into a fundraiser. Want to know how many times Brad called Angelina before his breakup with Jen? Give the US government $25 and you can find out. Want to know how many times your husband has called his secretary after work? Twenty-five bucks will buy you the answer. Would you like all of Britney Spears' phone numbers, including K-Fed and all of her families records? Twenty-five dollars. Thank you, come again.

Think of the brilliant social networking information we can put this to! Think of the powerful socialogical tool that the NSA has brought to us!

Hey, can I find out how many times Dick Cheney called Ken Lay during the Enron trial?

The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren't suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews.

 

"It's the largest database ever assembled in the world," said one person, who, like the others who agreed to talk about the NSA's activities, declined to be identified by name or affiliation. The agency's goal is "to create a database of every call ever made" within the nation's borders, this person added.

 

For the customers of these companies, it means that the government has detailed records of calls they made — across town or across the country — to family members, co-workers, business contacts and others.

 

The three telecommunications companies are working under contract with the NSA, which launched the program in 2001 shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the sources said. The program is aimed at identifying and tracking suspected terrorists, they said.