US Court Says NSA Phone Surveillance Program Illegal - Reports

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US court stated that phone surveillance program of the National Security Agency (NSA) is illegal, local media reported.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Currently the NSA collects information about phone calls, including the time, duration and number called, in order to find terrorist threats.

“This court simply cannot, and will not, allow the government to trump the Constitution merely because it suits the exigencies of the moment,’’ US District Court Judge Richard Leon said in his decision, as quoted by The Wall Street Journal on Monday.

The National Security Agency building at Fort Meade, Md. The National Security Agency has been extensively involved in the U.S. government's targeted killing program, collaborating closely with the CIA in the use of drone strikes against terrorists abroad, The Washington Post reported Wednesday Oct. 16, 2013 after a review of documents provided by former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden. - Sputnik International
Snowden Marks 'Historic' Victory, NSA to Curb Phone Spying by Month's End

At the same time, the NSA program is expected to change significantly on November 29 and the decision of the court is expected to have a limited effect.

US activist Larry Klayman that filed a lawsuit hailed the Leon's decision and said he would continue his struggle against NSA, seeking compensation in money.

In 2013, former NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked some 1.7 million classified US government documents detailing widespread and illegal mass electronic surveillance programs conducted by NSA and other intelligence agencies.

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