There’s still no credible evidence that the NSA’s massive digital surveillance has disrupted any terrorist plots.
In the face of righteous public wrath, the US administration is contorting itself to ensure that it does not lose its treasured data-mining capabilities: congressional hearings are held, the media is on the warpath, and senior securocrats are being forced to admit that they have lied about the efficacy of endemic surveillance in preventing terrorism.
How closely have the US telecommunications and technology companies been working with the NSA?
The NSA and GCHQ have reportedly cracked a number of technologies used on the internet to encrypt communications used in online banking, email, and storing medical records.
Algorithms can be manipulated by both the good guys and the bad guys