Just when it seemed there could be no more revelations about the NSA’s controversial PRISM program, new details continue to emerge. While much public attention has focused on PRISM’s headline aspects, several lesser-known NSA initiatives have flown under the radar.
Meet Blarney, Fairview, Oakstar, Lithium and Stormbrew. Despite sounding like craft cider brands, these are code names for programs and partnerships that have enabled the NSA to access a large portion of global internet traffic.
According to reporting in The Wall Street Journal, these combined programs allow access to “a wide array of communications by foreigners and Americans,” calling into question claims that PRISM is limited solely to foreign intelligence gathering.
How did the NSA achieve such reach? In 2003 the agency began using an AT&T facility known as “Room 641A,” which was exposed in 2006 as a conduit feeding large volumes of raw data to the National Security Agency. The San Francisco-based facility directed ISPs to forward internet streams the agency deemed likely to contain foreign intelligence, enabling widespread collection.
TelecomsTech recently covered the shutdown of encrypted email provider Lavabit, which closed rather than comply with demands that would have undermined users’ privacy. The agency reportedly resented services it could not easily penetrate, relying on tools such as XKeyscore—an analysis system that, according to disclosures, could be used by NSA analysts without a warrant.
These disclosures underscore just how expansive the surveillance capabilities are. One striking figure from the leaks is that since 2011 PRISM has acquired more than 250 million internet communications per year.
Analysts invoked Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act (FAA) to collect and retain this data, building a vast repository of communications. Leaked slides provided to The Washington Post by whistleblower Edward Snowden indicated there were over 100,000 “active surveillance targets,” though the true scope of monitoring remains uncertain.
Legal scrutiny followed: a FISA court opinion released from October 3, 2011, concluded that some of the NSA’s surveillance practices were “unconstitutional.” Much of that court opinion is heavily redacted, reflecting the classified nature of many details.
What do you think about these latest NSA revelations?