A surveillance program under the management of the White House allows law enforcement access to trillions of American phone records.
A new investigation by Wired magazine revealed the depths of the concerning program that allows unprecedented access to private records.
As each day passes, the police state builds and grows… https://t.co/RlmGQmiUS6
— mark8989 (@mark89894) November 27, 2023
"Known as Data Analytical Services (DAS), this program functions in partnership with telecom giant AT&T, offering a comprehensive analysis of American call records to law enforcement agencies at all levels of government," Breitbart News reported.
"This deal not only involves direct phone contacts of criminal suspects but extends to their social networks as well, snooping on individuals who have not been suspected of any criminal activity at all," it added.
A little-known surveillance program tracks more than a trillion domestic phone records within the U.S. each year, analyzing the phone records of those not suspected of any crime, including victims https://t.co/nxmBwl3txX
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) November 21, 2023
"Records show that the White House has provided more than $6 million to the program, which allows the targeting of the records of any calls that use AT&T’s infrastructure—a maze of routers and switches that crisscross the United States," Wired wrote.
"Leaked law enforcement files further show that a range of officials—from a US Postal Service inspector to a New York Department of Corrections parole officer—participated in DAS training sessions. Other participants include port authorities and members of US Immigration & Customs Enforcement, National Guard, and California Highway Patrol, alongside scores of smaller agencies," it continued.
As President, I will take the First Amendment seriously. No more secret surveillance programs that give police (warrantless) data on Americans’ phone calls. #Kennedy24https://t.co/VPcKIW6e0H
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) November 26, 2023
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. cited the article, speaking out against the invasion of privacy.
"As President, I will take the First Amendment seriously. No more secret surveillance programs that give police (warrantless) data on Americans’ phone calls," he claimed in a post on X.
The investigation is part of a larger concern by many Americans over the government's access to private communications, including calls, texts, social media and other smart devices, including newer cars.
The access could potentially be used to monitor one's political views in a situation similar to China's "social credit" system, according to concerns from some American researchers.
For now, it appears the Biden administration has no plans to change the system, leaving growing access to personal records to an array of entities.
