Great article. Personally I appreciate what the intel analysts are trying to accomplish, even if it was a bad policy decision. Sometimes the technologists get tunnel vision about how to dig for more information if they could only get more data. Unfortunately, there's not always a level headed person to put on the brakes when the data begins to involve people and rights.

I think that a debate should occur regarding this and the laws changed to more clearly affect the outcome of that debate. I'm personally indifferent about the government developing usage maps from suspected numbers. So let the debates begin.

The question that I have not heard any discussion about is why this particular activity was being performed by NSA. I believe that Title 18 limits NSA to foreign surveilance. After all NSA is a DOD agency. Doesn't their operation in this manner violate Posse Comitatus? Were they acting as an agent of the FBI or CIA, which do have the authority to operate in this manner?

This to me is a much bigger issue then the potential privacy issues that everyone is upset about.

Dion

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