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Curated research library of TV news clips regarding the NSA, its oversight and privacy issues, 2009-2014

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Primary curation & research: Robin Chin, Internet Archive TV News Researcher; using Internet Archive TV News service.

Speakers

Barack Obama
President
CSPAN 01/17/2014
Obama: All of us understand that the standards for government surveillance programs must be higher. Given the unique power of the state, it is not enough or leaders to say trust us and we will not abuse the data we collect. History has too many examples where the trust has been breached. Our system of government is built on the premise that our liberty cannot depend on the good intentions of those in power. It depends on the law to constrain those in power.
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Barack Obama
President
CSPAN 01/17/2014
Obama: I believe we need a new approach. I am therefore ordering a transition that will end section 215 bulk metadata program as exists and establishes a mechanism that preserves the capabilities we need without the government holding this bulk metadata. This will not be simple.
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Barack Obama
President
CSPAN 01/17/2014
Obama: A Review board recommended that our current approach be replaced by one in which the providers or a third-party retain the bulk records with government accessing information is needed. Both of these options pose difficult problems. Relying solely on the records of multiple providers for example could require companies to alter their procedures in ways that raise new privacy concerns . On the other hand, any third party maintaining a the single consolidated database would be carrying out what’s essentially a government function, but with more expense, more legal ambiguity, potentially less accountability, all of which would have a doubtful impact on increasing public confidence that their privacy is being protected.
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Barack Obama
President
CSPAN 01/17/2014
Obama: I’ve ordered that the transition away from the existing program will proceed in two steps. Effective immediately we will only pursue phone calls that are two steps removed from a number associated with a terrorist organization instead of the current three. And I have directed the Attorney General to work with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, so that during this transition period the database can be queried only after a judicial finding or in case of a true emergency.
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Barack Obama
President
CSPAN 01/17/2014
Obama: Next, step two, I've instructed the intelligence community and the Attorney General to use this transition period to develop options for a new approach that can match the capabilities and fill the gaps that the section 215 program was designed to address without the government holding this metadata itself. They will report back to me with options for alternative approaches before the program comes up for reauthorization on March 28. And during this period, I will consult with the relevant committees in Congress to seek their views and then seek Congressional authorization for the new program as needed. Now 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. Now I recognize there are additional issues require (further debate).
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Barack Obama
President
CSPAN 01/17/2014
Obama: Some who participated in our review, as well as some members of Congress would like to see more sweeping reforms to the use of National Security Letters so we have to go to a judge each time before issuing these requests. Here I have concerns that we should not set a standard for terrorism investigations that is higher than those involved in investigating and ordinary crime. But I agree that greater oversight on the use of these letters may be appropriate and I’m prepared to work with Congress on this issue. There are also those who would like to see different changes to the FISA court than the ones I proposed. On all these issues, I'm open to working with Congress to ensure that we build a broad consensus for how to move forward and I'm confident that we can shape an approach that meets our security needs while upholding the civil liberties (of every American).
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Barack Obama
President
CSPAN 01/17/2014
Obama: I've instructed my national security team come as well as the intelligence community, to work with foreign counterparts to deepen our coordination and cooperation in ways that we build trust going forward. Now let me be clear -- our intelligence agencies will continue to gather information about the intentions of governments as opposed to ordinary citizens around the world. In the same way that the intelligence services of every other nation does. We will not apologize simply because our services may be more effective.
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Barack Obama
President
CSPAN 01/17/2014
Obama: We are held to a different standard precisely because we have been at the forefront of defending personal privacy and human dignity. As the nation that developed the internet, the world expects us to ensure that the digital revolution works as a tool for individual empowerment, not government control. Having faced down the dangers of totalitarianism, fascism and communism, the world expects us to stand up to the principal that every person has the right to think, write and form relationships freely because individual freedom is the wellspring of human progress. Those values make us who we are. And because of the strength of our democracy, we should not shy away (from high expectations. )
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David Gregory
MSNBC Moderator of Meet The Press
MSNBCW 01/19/2014
Gregory: (Basically the President says) these programs are here to stay. And critics of the speech as i've been reading them, seem to say very little will change. Barton Gellman writes about it in the Washington Post and here’s what he said,
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Dianne Feinstein
U.S. Senator (D-CA), Chairman of Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
MSNBCW 01/19/2014
Feinstein: I think a lot of the privacy people perhaps don’t understand that we still occupy the role of the great satan. New bombs are being devised. New terrorists are emerging. New groups. Actually, a new level of viciousness. And I think we need to be prepared. I think we need to do it in a way that respects people's privacy rights.
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