Federal judge rules controversial NSA phone surveillance program lawful

Calling the secret NSA program “the government’s counter-punch” to al-Qaeda, U.S. District Judge William Pauley ruled Friday that the government’s phone data surveillance and collection system — first made public by documents released by Edward Snowden to an onslaught of criticism over privacy rights — was legal. The decision runs counter to an earlier ruling by a federal judge that the program is likely unconstitutional.

Last night, the PBS NewsHour hosted a discussion on how revelations about widespread snooping have changed the landscape for public and private spying policy.

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