US denies 'unilateral' data collection from internet companies

WASHINGTON: The Obama Administration has denied allegations of 'unilaterally' collecting information from internet companies, as being reported in the media, which has resulted in outrage in the country.


The Director of National Intelligence (DNI), James Clapper, yesterday declassified a portion of its information related to the secretive 'PRISM' in this regard, and strongly denied that it 'unilaterally' obtains information from the servers of US Internet companies.

In a statement, Clapper said internet companies provide user data to the National Security Agency only after receiving an order approved by a secret FISA court.

"PRISM is not an undisclosed collection or data mining programme. It is an internal government computer system used to facilitate the government's statutorily authorised collection of foreign intelligence information from electronic communication service providers under court supervision, as authorised by Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)," a DNI fact sheet said.

This authority was created by the Congress and has been widely known and publicly discussed since its inception in 2008, it said, adding that under Section 702 of FISA, the US Government does not unilaterally obtain information from the servers of US electronic communication service providers.

"All such information is obtained with FISA Court approval and with the knowledge of the provider based upon a written directive from the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence," it said.

"In short, Section 702 facilitates the targeted acquisition of foreign intelligence information concerning foreign targets located outside the United States under court oversight.

Service providers supply information to the Government when they are lawfully required to do so," the DNI said.