U.S. Intelligence Chief Confirms That The NSA Has Conducted Warrantless Searches On Americans

U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.(Reuters / Jason Reed)

NSA Performed Warrantless Searches On Americans' Calls And Emails – Clapper -- The Guardian

* NSA used 'back door' to search Americans' communications
* Director of national intelligence confirms use of new legal rule
* Data collected under 'Prism' and 'Upstream' programs

US intelligence chiefs have confirmed that the National Security Agency has used a "back door" in surveillance law to perform warrantless searches on Americans’ communications.

The NSA's collection programs are ostensibly targeted at foreigners, but in August the Guardian revealed a secret rule change allowing NSA analysts to search for Americans' details within the databases.

Now, in a letter to Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat on the intelligence committee, the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, has confirmed for the first time the use of this legal authority to search for data related to “US persons”.

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More News On U.S. Intelligence Chief Confirming That The NSA Has Conducted Warrantless Searches On Americans

Top U.S. intel officer confirms warrantless searches of Americans -- PBS Newshour
NSA searched Americans’ communications without a warrant, intelligence director says -- Washington Post
US confirms warrantless searches of Americans -- FOX News/AP
Confirmed: NSA conducts warrantless searches on Americans -- RT
NSA carried out unauthorised searches on Americans' calls and emails - DNI Clapper -- Voice of Russia
NSA searched U.S. calls, emails without warrant, U.S. intelligence chief admits -- ZDNet
NSA Search of Americans’ E-Mail to Phone Calls Seen as Violation -- Bloomberg Businessweek
How the NSA Used a 'Loophole' to Spy on Americans -- National Journal
James Clapper finally comes clean -- Slate
Letter Tells of U.S. Searches for Emails and Calls -- New York Times