Posted 11/22/2023, 4:38:16 PM
Congress Questions Expanded Phone Record Surveillance Program
- Congress demanding answers about Hemisphere program that tracks trillions of phone records of Americans yearly
- Hemisphere allows law enforcement access to AT&T database of phone metadata going back to 1987 without warrant
- Program revealed in 2013 but has expanded since; paid for by White House drug policy office
- Senator Ron Wyden raises concerns about legality and privacy impacts of Hemisphere
- Program intended to investigate drug traffickers but used for other crimes; bypasses usual privacy rules