NSA Program Grabs 100% of Foreign Nation's Phone Calls.

Into the MYSTIC: NSA program grabs '100 percent' of foreign nation's phone calls

The National Security Agency has a system that allows officials to record "100 percent" of the phone calls in a foreign country and rewind and review those conversations for up to 30 days, according to a report published Tuesday.

Officials confirmed the revelations about the MYSTIC program to The Washington Post, which learned about it through documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

According to the report, the NSA in 2009 created the voice interception program, which uses a tool enabling “retrospective retrieval" of the calls.

The United States used it against its “first target nation” in 2011, the Post says. Documents from 2013 suggest the program already has, or will be, extended to other nations.

Out of billions of phone calls being recorded, the Post reports only 1 percent of the calls are analyzed.

A rolling buffer is used to clear the oldest phone calls to make way for new ones, allowing the NSA to “retrieve audio of interest that was not tasked at the time of the original call.”

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Rather them than us.

Disgusting the US is slowly turning into a police state.

from a technical standpoint that is pretty damn cool..

Police your shit so terrorists cannot target us from your country and we won't have to do this......cry me a river.

Also in the news.....Russia just stole part of a country....

Also an important note that 100% of the time gets ignored by the "omg they're spying!!" crowd.....

"Out of billions of phone calls being recorded, the Post reports only 1 percent of the calls are analyzed."

Well, it's us too

Wait..

Are these phone calls from another country, to the USA?

Or just 100% of all calls made in other countries?

NSA already monitors US citizens, Bush started up the President’s Surveillance Program that allows the NSA to record phone calls ETC without going to the court.

True, I'm against that. Shouldn't even be collecting that data, first you get the warrant then you start collecting.

The U.S is indeed God's gift to the world, land of the free, home of the brave, bastion of liberty, beacon of transparent democracy, etc etc.

Calls not made in or to the USA are not relevant.

I'm starting to believe the U.S is running the biggest protection racket that ever existed in this world.

Well at least it has an interesting history and rich culture. Oh wait...

Thanks for re-stating known facts.

The topic says : "NSA program grabs 100% of foreign nation's phone calls"

I'm asking TC if he means that the NSA is grabbing all calls incoming from foreign countries to America.
Or if this means that two people in Aus, talking on the phone, are being recorded by America.

I know right. I mean if it was Europe, Japan or even Russia assuming the USA's role as the world's hegemonic bully it would have been at least interesting and "enriching".

100% of all calls made in another country.

Oh its just conspiracy BS, everything is fine, Government are our best fwiends!

.....and it ended in 2007. Tell the whole story or stfu.

Wooooooooooohoooooooooooooooooooo!

We got us another hate America thread spawning here....starring Gamespot's finest intellectuals from around the world....most of whose countries have been taking millions of our dollars per year as they stick it to us any way they can.

I think I speak for the majority of Americans (who are not a bunch of self-loathing lemmings on a message forum) when I bend over and say kiss our collective ass.

'Murica....**** yea.

@vfibsux said:

Wooooooooooohoooooooooooooooooooo!

We got us another hate America thread spawning here....starring Gamespot's finest intellectuals from around the world....most of whose countries have been taking millions of our dollars per year as they stick it to us any way they can.

I think I speak for the majority of Americans (who are not a bunch of self-loathing lemmings on a message forum) when I bend over and say kiss our collective ass.

'Murica....**** yea.

I love America. I love living here.

Citizens make up this country, not the government.

Right now our government is heading down the shitter at lightning speed.

I still don't get it , you saying that the US government eavesdrops on any phone call made in any two given cities in the world ,like ,let's say, Venice to Tehran ? Or two given cities within a given country, like Venice to Roma ?

Thats what he's saying.

I wasn't sure if it was like, if someone in the USA called someone in China, it would be recorded. But apparently if two people in China call each other, the USA has a means of intercepting 100% of calls made in foreign nations.

Although they SAY they dont use it on foreign citizens...which sort of defeats the purpose of creating such a device.

Once again the US show the rest of the world how to protect and save the world from everything evil.

@vfibsux:

Live in Canada. No money for us. :(

In fact, the last aid transaction between the two countries was Canada giving U.S. 3billion to save GM, since a lot of the manufacturing is done here.

i guess other nations just need to come up w/ more secure phone systems..

Also, I would like to point out that this is an example of why Snowden can be very well be consider a traitor, this has nothing to do with the collection of metadata from US citizens in the United States. This is a program designed to target foreign countries.

@-Sun_Tzu- said:

@vfibsux said:

I think I speak for the majority of Americans

Typical Gamespot intellectual....take one sentence out of context and wait for the applause from all the other "intellectuals" on the board. I will call you on this bullshit every time dude, stop being an asshat. I guarantee you the majority of Americans would give a hearty "**** you" to anyone here talking shit about our country the way they are for us spying on other countries. The only one who would not are the self-loathing guilty conscience asshats who claim they do it out of patriotism.

This taken out of context bullshit poll is for spying on AMERICANS, not foreigner. What a load of shit man. If you cannot answer my points just make shit up right?

In the end....God Bless the USA....to hell with those who do not.

If Snowden ever does return to the US he can forget using the opinion that the domestic programs violate the Fourth Amendment as a way to get his charges dismissed because this particular leak discusses the country's ability to monitor foreign nationals, which wouldn't be protected by our laws anyway. If Snowden stuck to the domestic programs he would have a better chance of staying free.

In all honesty, I'm surprised that he wasn't already kidnapped so he could be tortured for what he knows. I know if I was in al Qaeda or a top official from Pyongyang I would want to know what else he knows from his time in both the NSA and CIA.

I'm moving to a better world as soon as i can I guess

Oh by the by,

Sun seems to have a much better respect and a deeper love for america then vfib

Won't be long and the rest of the world will figure out who their true enemy is. Too bad we are addicted to credit and oil, because I'm pretty sure they can bring us down without firing a bullet.

@vfibsux said:

@-Sun_Tzu- said:

@vfibsux said:

I think I speak for the majority of Americans

Typical Gamespot intellectual....take one sentence out of context and wait for the applause from all the other "intellectuals" on the board. I will call you on this bullshit every time dude, stop being an asshat. I guarantee you the majority of Americans would give a hearty "**** you" to anyone here talking shit about our country the way they are for us spying on other countries. The only one who would not are the self-loathing guilty conscience asshats who claim they do it out of patriotism.

This taken out of context bullshit poll is for spying on AMERICANS, not foreigner. What a load of shit man. If you cannot answer my points just make shit up right?

In the end....God Bless the USA....to hell with those who do not.

lmao

You are a trip my man

If it was revealed that a foreign country (say, Russia) was surveilling US phone calls (and I think it's very unlikely that the US is the only country with this kind of program - if the US is doing this chances are they aren't alone, and as the Snowden leaks have shown governments have all sorts of covert pacts between one another that allows them to spy on their respective citizens), are you telling me you would have no gripes against that country? Are you so blinded by nationalistic fervor that you are unable to see why foreigners might have some real legitimate problems with a program like this?

**** man even nintendo fanboys are more reasonable than you, what're you doing with your life?

They have a program means they can do that. Again NSA isn't sitting there listening to every phone call...they don't have the staff for that. Certain target words are given attention. And who cares? Last I checked our Constitution doesn't cover other countries. Can we stop crying now?

Do you even have an idea why people are talking shit about your government? and I mean government. They have to make every freaking thing that happens in the world to be part of their business. Then we get to hear self-righteous speeches like a broken record...

You seem unable to distinguish the nation and the government (and admittedly, some detractors as well). I believe most people here don't hate Americans or their culture, and also, don't take tongue-in-cheek comments seriously. When people on this forum bash countries like China and Russia, people understand that the criticism is directed to the government, not the culture or the people.

I'm not sure whether the people that are resorting to the argument or justification that "the program targets all citizens of other countries, citizens that are not protected by our laws and constitution" do hear themselves. If that's the prevalent attitude in the U.S, which I personally doubt it to be, then its indeed a shit country, a much more shit country that might currently be perceived by the world. Its like saying because 9/11 killed some 3000 Americans, I really don't give a shit.
For the sake of Americans themselves, I really hope that's not the case because the abolition and decadence of a state begins with the abandonment of virtue and reason. When the state becomes under the impression that it has no moral obligation to anyone or anything, that virtue is a concept worthy of apathy and pity, an obstacle in the way of progress rather than an asset, and when public opinion in turn shows no criticism and denunciation in reaction and resort to complacence and chauvinism as a way to cope with the moral decay of the state, then it becomes only a matter of time before the state abolishes itself and brings about its own demise.

Yeah I hope this country isn't filled with vfib type people who are a detriment and threat to american and human values

Dude people were hating on the U.S. on this forum well before the NSA activity was brought to light and you fucking know it. The quotes above were general attacks against my country, not the government's NSA program. Insulting our history and culture? Wtf does that have to do with the NSA or government? That's bullshit, and if any American did that to any other country we would be called out for it, instead you defend this shit. If you are an American you are a flat out shit one.

As for what I do with my life, I defend my fucking country with it. So if I am willing to die for my country you bet your ass I am willing to type a few words of disgust on a message board for it.

But of course once again you shift and divert.....the poll to posted was bullshit and off topic and you took my quote out of context to make a point that was not even being discussed. So let's get back on topic with MY post....you posted bullshit and were called out on it...eat crow and choke.

Now excuse me, according to GS I have a few kids to go bomb with my drone. bbl.

vfibsux pls explain how my post was a "general attack" against our country :)

Why get so angry, vfib?

Mm is just pushing your buttons on purpose, byw

Please explain to me where I said your post specifically was a general attack....I was referring to those I quoted below yours. What I did do was accuse you of defending such posts.

I come off in text much angrier than I actually am, I assure you. And posters who regularly post negative things about the U.S. do not get the benefit of the doubt from me when it comes to such comments.

Speaking from experience with majormayor, he is purposely trying to get a rise out of you with all the lack of history and worthwhileness. Best to just assume he is largely fucking around.

Will you be upset if I insult the toothfairy?

That's nice, and people wonder why we are so paranoid about the US in europe

Good, makes it harder for illegal activity.

I hope that technology and experience make these systems better.

@MakeMeaSammitch: Yeah. Who needs privacy anyways?

they're collecting, not actually listening to these calls, and honestly, if you'd prefer a little privacy, over the next 9/11 happening, I think you need to get your priorities strait.