US National Security Agency buys web browsing data without warrant, letter shows

The U.S. National Security Agency buys Americans’ internet browsing information from commercial brokers without a warrant, the agency’s director told Democratic Senator Ron Wyden in a letter made public on Thursday.
Wyden, who released the Dec. 11 letter, called upon U.S. intelligence officials to stop using Americans’ personal data without their express knowledge and consent, saying it was unlawful.
“Such records can identify Americans who are seeking help from a suicide hotline or a hotline for survivors of sexual assault or domestic abuse,” Wyden said in a statement.
The NSA responded that the information has significant value for national security and cybersecurity missions and is used sparingly.
“At all stages, NSA takes steps to minimize the collection of U.S. person information, to include application of technical filters,” a spokesperson for the agency said in an email.
Wyden, a privacy and internet freedom advocate, had blocked the appointment of incoming NSA Director Timothy Haugh until the agency responded to his questions about collecting Americans’ internet and location data.