(ProsperNews.net) – A media investigation has revealed a little-known program managed by the White House that allows police and other law enforcement agencies to monitor the phone calls of millions of Americans. The media group Wired says it uncovered a letter from US Senator Ron Wyden to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in November that challenges the legality of the surveillance program known as Data Analytical Services (DAS).
According to the letter, federal and state agencies, as well as local law enforcement, can analyze records of any calls, including those made by people who have not committed any crime, and even the victims of crime.
Mr. Wyden wrote that he became aware of the program, run in partnership with AT&T, via the Department of Justice when it provided him with “sensitive but unclassified” information that he said would “outrage” many Americans and members of Congress.
DAS has been in operation for over a decade and has collected data on trillions of calls made across the United States, including caller names, recipient names, date and time of call, and phone numbers. Leaked documents confirm that officials, including parole officers and postal inspectors, have utilized the technology to collect information without a warrant.
Wired adds that data is available on targeted individuals, their spouses, children, and even their friends. The outlet also notes that “DAS is managed under a program devoted to drug trafficking,” but it has uncovered evidence suggesting it is used far beyond that scope. For example, the police department in Oakland used DAS to identify a suspect’s phone number by listening to calls made by their close friends.
Senator Wyden posted a link to the Wired study on his Twitter account and called on the DOJ to release further information. He added that his Government Surveillance Reform Act will close loopholes that allow the federal government to “engage in dragnet surveillance just like this” and restore the civil liberties of the American people.
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