President Barack Obama today announced that the National Security Administration will make changes in its data-gathering processes moving forward.
Specifically, the NSA will no longer be able to store the metadata associated with all phone calls. Instead, Obama called for the formation of a third-party organization to store and monitor such data. Further, the NSA will need a warrant, or prove there is an imminent emergency, to access the data. Last, phone companies will have more latitude to disclose when the government has requested that they provide data about U.S. citizens.
“The reforms I’m proposing today should give the American people greater confidence that their rights are being protected, even as our intelligence and law enforcement agencies maintain the tools they need to keep us safe,” said Obama.
