The US National Security Agency (NSA) has confirmed that it purchases internet browsing information of the US citizens from commercial brokers without obtaining a warrant. This disclosure came to light through a letter from NSA Director Paul Nakasone to Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, which Wyden released to the public on Thursday, December 11.
Senator Wyden, a prominent advocate for privacy and internet freedom, condemned the practice, calling on US intelligence officials to cease using Americans' personal data without their explicit knowledge and consent, deeming it unlawful, Reuters reported. He emphasized the potential harm, stating, “Such records can identify Americans who are seeking help from a suicide hotline or a hotline for survivors of sexual assault or domestic abuse.”
In its turn, the NSA argued that the information acquired holds significant value for national security and cybersecurity missions, and is used sparingly.
“At all stages, NSA takes steps to minimize the collection of US person information, to include application of technical filters,” said a spokesperson for the agency.
However, Wyden raised concerns about the violation of US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) standards. He pointed out that the collected data may expose details such as which websites users visit and what apps they use.
Senator Wyden said that he had written to Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, urging the US intelligence community to compile an inventory of all the personal data of Americans that the NSA has acquired. Furthermore, Wyden called for the immediate purging of any data that does not align with the FTC's standards.