Classified documents newly made available to The Washington Post and the Guardian describe the National Security Agency’s procedures for protecting the privacy of U.S. citizens. Since Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor, first leaked documents describing the agency’s surveillance program this month, it has become the subject of intense controversy here and abroad. The new disclosures did not mollify the agency’s critics:
Obama, meanwhile, was scheduled to meet with an oversight board for the first time today to discuss civil liberties and national security. His administration has defended the surveillance, with intelligence officials testifying before a House committee earlier this week that the NSA’s programs had helped to thwart dozens of terrorist plots. Two senators, Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) disputed that claim:
Meanwhile, the company that vetted Snowden before he began working at the NSA is reportedly the target of a criminal probe:
For past coverage of Snowden and the NSA, continue reading here.
Edward Snowden: Life, leaks, fallout
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A 30-year-old government contractor was the source of high-profile disclosures of the vast collection of data obtained by the National Security Agency and other intelligence groups.