A new report by WIRED revealed the existence of a massive federal government surveillance program that tracks over a trillion phone records in the United States.
The program, known as Data Analytical Services (DAS), collaborates with the telecommunications company AT&T to provide law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels with access to detailed call records of Americans. This includes information on individuals who have not been suspected of any criminal activity. Records indicate that the White House has allocated over $6 million to support this program.
“The DAS program, formerly known as Hemisphere, is run in coordination with the telecom giant AT&T, which captures and conducts analysis of US call records for law enforcement agencies, from local police and sheriffs’ departments to US customs offices and postal inspectors across the country, according to a White House memo reviewed by WIRED.”
WIRED
WIRED became aware of this program after obtaining a letter from U.S. Senator Ron Wyden to the Department of Justice. The letter, addressed to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland expressed “serious concerns about the legality” of the DAS program, stating that its existence would “justifiably outrage many Americans and other members of Congress.”
In response to these series of allegations, an AT&T spokesperson clarified that the company is legally obliged to comply with subpoenas issued by law enforcement officials. However, there is no legal mandate for the telecom giant to retain decades’ worth of call records for law enforcement purposes.
“We defer to the Justice Department, to whom Sen. Wyden’s letter is addressed, for comment,” the spokesperson said. “Like all companies, we are required by law to comply with subpoenas, warrants, and court orders from government and law enforcement agencies.”
The report emphasizes not only the scale of the surveillance program but also the lack of congressional oversight. Operating from the executive branch, particularly the White House, the DAS program is exempt from the Freedom of Information Act, further raising concerns about the legality of this program.
