The federal government will continue to collect bulk information from domestic phone calls as part of Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act until June 1 this year, when the provision is set to expire, according to a recently declassified government document.
Classified documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed how the NSA (National Security Agency) gathers data (but not actual conversations) from all domestic phone calls made through Verizon and other major U.S. carriers.
The bulk intelligence gathering was authorized by Section 215, which gave great discretion to the federal government to collect “any tangible things” for the purposes of an investigation, according to the Patriot Act signed by Congress in 2001.
Under public pressure, President Barack Obama promised in January of last year to end the bulk collection program “as it currently exists,” and announced several reforms to the program.
