Wyden, Heinrich: CIA Secretly Collecting, Mishandling American Data
Newly declassified documents show the CIA has been conducting a “secret bulk collection program” and mishandling American data, Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., alleged Thursday. The CIA conducted the program with authority under executive order 12333 (see…
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2003300055). It was “entirely outside the statutory framework that Congress and the public believe govern this collection, and without any of the judicial, congressional or even executive branch oversight,” they said. A Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board report describes the “secret nature” of the CIA’s activities, they said. The declassified documents reveal “serious problems associated with warrantless backdoor searches of Americans,” they said. The program is "so secretive the CIA won't even tell the public what kind of information it is sweeping up," said Demand Progress Senior Policy Counsel Sean Vitka. The CIA lawfully collected foreign intelligence information under the National Security Act and executive order 12333, an agency spokesperson emailed: The activity includes incidental collection of American data, which is subject to DOJ requirements. Certain information in the PCLOB reports remains classified, the agency said. The CIA follows the Constitution, EOs, other statutes and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for all collection activities, the CIA said.