The Guardian revealed on Thursday that the National Security Agency is collecting the telephone records of millions of US customers of a division of Verizon, one of America's largest telecoms providers, under a top-secret court order issued in April. Here we round-up some of the reaction to the story from Twitter.
From Al Gore, former US vice-president:
In digital era, privacy must be a priority. Is it just me, or is secret blanket surveillance obscenely outrageous? http://t.co/KONSBtTWjc
— Al Gore (@algore) June 6, 2013
Colorado senator Mark Udall, who has long been vocal about the scope of the Obama administration's surveillance activities, spoke out Thursday morning:
As a member of Senate #Intelligence Committee, I've been pressing on #FISA, #surveillance & #privacy issues for years.
— Mark Udall (@MarkUdall) June 6, 2013
Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer served under president George W Bush from January 2001 to July 2003.
Drone strikes. Wiretaps. Gitmo. O is carrying out Bush's 4th term. Yet he attacked Bush 4 violating Constitution. #hypocrisy
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) June 6, 2013
From Martin Varsavsky of Columbia University:
Don't blame Verizon for this one. It's the government you elected who is spying on you. http://t.co/MhPT1uXp7g
— Martin Varsavsky (@martinvars) June 6, 2013
From Matt Apuzzo of the Associated Press who, along with his editor, Ted Bridis, was among a group of journalists from that organisation whose phones had been seized by the US government in a widely reported terrorism probe:
THIS is why America needs 'leakers' RT @ggreenwald: NSA is collecting phone records of millions of Americans daily http://t.co/LBHJt0CmdD”
— Matt Apuzzo (@mattapuzzo) June 6, 2013
From senator Bernie Sanders, the longest-serving independent senator in US congress who has voted against extensions of the Patriot Act:
Must Read: NSA collecting phone records of millions of Verizon customers daily - @GGreenwald, @Guardian: http://t.co/4lj9PYMla1 #NSA
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) June 6, 2013
From American Civil Liberties Union lobbyist Michelle Richardson:
Hill staff: look down at your BBs, now back to me. See that Verizon logo? Your calls and emails are with the NSA now.
— Michelle Richardson (@Richardson_Mich) June 6, 2013
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof:
I wouldn't want to be a NSA staffer with a communication history with any Greenwald. Or even any record of wearing green.
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) June 6, 2013
From Jon Swaine of the Daily Telegraph:
Yo @Verizon, broadband at @Telegraph’s New York office is out. I think you meant to hit the rotters at @GuardianUS just down the street
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) June 6, 2013
From CNN host Piers Morgan:
Can't just be Verizon, right? That wouldn't make much sense... unless their customers are more dangerous. #NSA
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 6, 2013
From Charlotte Greensit, former senior editor at Time magazine:
Oops. #verizon @guardian pic.twitter.com/ghRH1Zf8py
— Charlotte Greensit (@cgreensit) June 6, 2013
From Politico’s Alex Byers:
As we've written, WH assurance that no call content was obtained from VZ doesn't mean much when records paint such a detailed pic.
— Alex Byers (@byersalex) June 6, 2013
Guy Benson, politics editor of US conservative magazine Townhall:
Honest question: Who would have to sign off on such a massive NSA operation, and what's the possible justification? #NSA
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) June 6, 2013
Foreign Policy blogger Brian Fung:
Fun fact: 64 years ago today, George Orwell published "1984." http://t.co/A5IUaCFaoH #NSA
— Brian Fung (@b_fung) June 6, 2013
