Following a recent Senate vote at midnight on Friday, the NSA has begun preparing to shut down its mass surveillance programs.
The legal basis of these programs states that the Patriot Act expires at the end of the month. Thus, lawmakers have been called upon to decide whether the agency's mass surveillance systems will remain and how long they will be able to intervene.
The Senate failed to pass a replacement bill, the US Freedom Act, and also another one that had been proposed by the Senate Majority Leader Mr. McConnell (R-KY) who wanted the program extension as it stands.
«The process has already begun.»
In response to the recent events, officials said that the NSA should begin taking measures to shut down mass surveillance programs, such as the controversial collection «metadata» from millions of phone calls.
According to the Los Angeles Times, an official of the agency says that «the process has started.»
After Congress failed to agree on limiting or renewing the Patriot Act, the NSA is forced to terminate programs based on that legislation, which was originally passed in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
Many see the Freedom as the most viable solution. It largely expands on key parts of the Patriot Act, but with some limitations and commitments.
Specifically, it will amend section 215, which has been used in broad interpretations (recently ruled illegal by the Court of Appeals) to justify the NSA's mass surveillance programs.
The House passed the bill last month, but three votes were still missing in the Senate.
An emergency last‑minute session has been scheduled for Sunday, May 31, to try to pass a bill before the deadline that comes on June 1.
Source: iguru
