​US:intelligence services powers of phone tapping expired

On Monday night, June 1 at the US intelligence expired authority to listen to and record telephone conversations of suspected terrorists after the Senate failed to agree on the extension of the key provisions of the so-called "Patriot Act", which would allow US intelligence agencies to continue surveillance of suspects terrorism.

The White House called the failure of the Senate to vote on extending the provisions of the "Patriot Act", made up the legislative framework of the program NSA data collection blunder irresponsible.

"Patriot Act" was passed in response to the attacks on the United States on 11 September 2001 and, among other things, expanded the rights of special services for electronic eavesdropping and surveillance.

May 7th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision of the United States in 2013, according to which the storage of the data accepted by the constitution. The validity of the NSA program of data collection had expired on 1 June.

Disable server

The failure of the Senate to extend the provisions of the "Patriot Act" means the US intelligence agencies to temporarily lose the right to listen to and record telephone conversations of suspected terrorists.

US National Security Agency (NSA), which controls the majority of observation programs, has already begun to turn off their servers, which store the collected data in the course of listening.

Now, senators will vote on the same "Freedom Act" (USA Freedom Act), which also involves tapping and recording of telephone conversations at the request of the special services. However, the vote will take place no earlier than the middle of the week.

The White House urged the US Senate as quickly as possible to pass this law to allow the security services to resume data collection program for the prevention of terrorist attacks.

"In conditions critical for national security, individual senators should put aside their party interests and act quickly," - said a spokesman for the White House Josh Ernest.

The existence of the database of telephone conversations it became known izrazoblacheny ex-CIA contractor Edward Snowden, now hiding in Russia.

As part of the NSA collected metadata telephone calls, including telephone numbers and call duration, is not listening to the content of the conversations.

Source: bbc Photo: The NSA has come under increased scrutiny since the Snowden revelations