WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Leandra Bernstein — The US National Security Agency’s (NSA) bulk data collection authority, which expired on Monday, was the sole mechanism the agency had for accessing US citizens’ phone data, former NSA Director Michael Hayden told Sputnik.
“This [collecting telephone metadata program] is the only access NSA has to this kind of data, about American phone calls, and it is a very limited access for very limited purposes,” Hayden said.
The US Senate is considering authorizing the bulk collection program under the USA Freedom Act, but the NSA collection authority is currently inactive.
Hayden argued that without the Freedom Act, “there is no fallback,” for the NSA to access US phone records.
Under the USA Freedom Act, the NSA collection capabilities would be maintained for six months while a new data collection and retention program is implemented.
Hayden took credit for authoring the NSA program, Stellar Wind, which housed the bulk collection authority.
Under Hayden’s program, the NSA undertook broad domestic surveillance including analyzing US citizens’ e-mail and phone communications metadata.
The extent of the US mass surveillance program was first revealed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013.
