Big Brother is peeking into our lives like a nosy neighbor once again. A secret surveillance program called Data Analytical Services (DAS) that’s been quietly collecting and analyzing over a trillion domestic phone records within the U.S each year. Yeah, you heard that right, folks – a trillion!
And who’s behind this Orwellian nightmare? None other than telecom giant AT&T, in cahoots with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Now, isn’t that just peachy? Innocent people, minding their own business, having their phone records scrutinized by the authorities without any judicial oversight or public accountability. Talk about an invasion of privacy!
But here’s the real kicker. This DAS program, formerly known as Hemisphere, uses a technique called chain analysis. It doesn’t just target those in direct phone contact with a criminal suspect, but anyone those individuals have been in contact with as well. So, if your second cousin twice removed happens to be a suspect, congratulations – you’re now on the radar too!
Now, I’m all for law and order, but this is crossing a line. Our Fourth Amendment rights are supposed to protect us from unreasonable searches and seizures. But with this program, it seems like those rights are being tossed out the window.
What’s even more concerning is that AT&T isn’t being forced to do this. No, they’ve voluntarily chosen to cooperate with law enforcement, even providing training on how to use this system. And guess who’s footing the bill? That’s right, folks – it’s funded by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
And before you start pointing fingers at Biden, let’s not forget that former President Donald Trump resumed funding for this program in 2017, only to halt it again in 2021. And then Biden resumed it once more, without much comment on its legality or implications.
Sen. Ron Wyden has sent letters seeking answers about its legality, and there are ongoing lawsuits challenging it. But so far, they’ve been unsuccessful. So here we are, stuck in a dystopian reality where our privacy rights are being trampled on.
So, here’s a wake-up call, America. It’s time to take our privacy back. Because if we don’t stand up for our rights, who will?
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