PRISM (surveillance program)
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| PRISM (surveillance program) | |
|---|---|
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| Name | PRISM |
| Country | United States |
| Agency | National Security Agency |
PRISM (surveillance program) is a clandestine mass surveillance program operated by the United States National Security Agency (NSA), in cooperation with various telecommunications companies, including Microsoft, Yahoo!, Google, Facebook, Apple, and AOL. The program was established under the Protect America Act of 2007, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush and later amended by the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, signed into law by President Barack Obama. The program involves the collection of internet communications from foreign nationals, with the assistance of United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) and companies like AT&T and Verizon Communications. The existence of the program was first revealed by The Guardian and The Washington Post in 2013, based on classified documents leaked by Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor who also worked for Booz Allen Hamilton.
Introduction
The PRISM program is a key component of the NSA's global surveillance efforts, which also include other programs like XKeyscore and Tempora, a collaboration with the United Kingdom's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). The program allows the NSA to collect email, chat, video, and audio communications from foreign targets, with the help of Palantir Technologies and other data analytics companies. The NSA also collaborates with other intelligence agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to analyze and disseminate the collected information, which is stored in NSA databases like PINWALE and NarusInsight. The program has been criticized by human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, for its potential to infringe on the privacy rights of innocent civilians, including European Union citizens, as revealed by Der Spiegel and The New York Times.
History
The PRISM program was established in 2007, under the Protect America Act of 2007, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on August 5, 2007. The program was created in response to the September 11 attacks and the subsequent War on Terror, with the goal of enhancing the NSA's ability to collect and analyze foreign intelligence information, in cooperation with foreign intelligence agencies like the Australian Signals Directorate and the Canadian Communications Security Establishment. The program was initially authorized for a period of six months, but it was later extended and expanded under the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, signed into law by President Barack Obama on July 10, 2008. The program has been reauthorized several times since then, with the most recent reauthorization occurring in 2018, under the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017, signed into law by President Donald Trump.
Operation
The PRISM program operates by collecting internet communications from foreign nationals through partnerships with telecommunications companies, including Microsoft, Yahoo!, Google, Facebook, Apple, and AOL. The program uses a variety of surveillance techniques, including bulk data collection and targeted surveillance, to collect email, chat, video, and audio communications, which are then stored in NSA databases like PINWALE and NarusInsight. The NSA also uses data analytics tools, such as Palantir Technologies, to analyze the collected information and identify potential security threats, in collaboration with other intelligence agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The program is overseen by the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), which reviews and approves the NSA's surveillance requests, as required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the USA PATRIOT Act.
Revelations and Reaction
The existence of the PRISM program was first revealed by The Guardian and The Washington Post in 2013, based on classified documents leaked by Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor who also worked for Booz Allen Hamilton. The revelations sparked widespread controversy and criticism, with many human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, condemning the program as a violation of privacy rights, as reported by Der Spiegel and The New York Times. The European Union also expressed concerns about the program, with European Commission Vice President Viviane Reding calling for greater transparency and oversight, as reported by BBC News and Al Jazeera. In response to the controversy, President Barack Obama announced reforms to the NSA's surveillance programs, including greater oversight and transparency, as required by the USA FREEDOM Act.
Impact and Controversy
The PRISM program has had a significant impact on the global debate about surveillance and privacy, with many human rights organizations and civil liberties groups criticizing the program as a threat to democracy and human rights, as reported by The Guardian and The New York Times. The program has also raised concerns about the potential for mass surveillance and the erosion of trust in telecommunications companies, as reported by Der Spiegel and BBC News. In addition, the program has been criticized for its potential to infringe on the privacy rights of innocent civilians, including European Union citizens, as revealed by Edward Snowden and reported by Al Jazeera and The Washington Post. The program has also been the subject of several lawsuits, including a challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), as reported by Reuters and Bloomberg.
Technical Details
The PRISM program uses a variety of surveillance techniques, including bulk data collection and targeted surveillance, to collect email, chat, video, and audio communications, which are then stored in NSA databases like PINWALE and NarusInsight. The program also uses data analytics tools, such as Palantir Technologies, to analyze the collected information and identify potential security threats, in collaboration with other intelligence agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The program is overseen by the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), which reviews and approves the NSA's surveillance requests, as required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the USA PATRIOT Act. The program has been criticized for its potential to infringe on the privacy rights of innocent civilians, including European Union citizens, as revealed by Der Spiegel and The New York Times, and has been the subject of several lawsuits, including a challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), as reported by Reuters and Bloomberg.