Whenever you’re scrolling through your phone, it feels like everything’s completely private. But what if we told you that there’s a lot more going on than you might think? Let’s look at some facts about the National Security Agency (NSA) that’ll surprise you. Your sense of privacy won’t be the same again! Of course, it’s better for you to know these facts than to live in ignorance because now you might be a little more aware of what you’re sharing online.
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Bulk Collection of Phone Records
In 2017, it came out that the NSA had been collecting phone records from millions of Americans—to the tune of over 500 million call details in one year alone. These figures include phone numbers, call durations & more. But the worst part is that this massive collection didn’t necessarily link anyone to terrorism or criminal activities. So what was the point of it?
PRISM Program’s Big Appetite
The PRISM program allows the NSA to get data from big tech companies like Google & Apple. Essentially, it gives them a backstage pass to all your online activities—emails, documents, social media posts. PRISM is responsible for a whopping 91% of the NSA’s internet traffic acquisitions.
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Global Surveillance Network
The NSA doesn’t stop at U.S. borders as its surveillance network works worldwide. They spy on Americans as well as foreign leaders & everyday people in over 190 countries. In 2013, news broke that the NSA had been listening in on 35 world leaders’ phone conversations. Clearly, the NSA’s eavesdropping knows no bounds!
Friends with Benefits
Similarly, the NSA also has friends in other intelligence networks that share raw data with countries like Israel. This includes information on U.S. citizens. It’s a kind of international cooperation that expands the NSA’s reach yet also complicates the conversation about privacy—and who’s watching the watchers.
Undersea Cable Tapping
Here’s something straight out of a spy movie—the NSA, with a little help from its friends, has been using undersea fiber-optic cables. These cables carry about 99% of the world’s internet traffic. As such, the NSA could potentially monitor a huge amount of international communication and spy on the world’s digital conversations.
Malware Mayhem
Beyond passive listening, the NSA also actively infiltrates computers worldwide with over 50,000 malware installations. These computer bugs are actually sophisticated tools designed to spy on individuals & organizations. To critics, this malware is a digital invasion of privacy on a global scale.
Encryption Bypass Efforts
Encryption is supposed to be the best way of keeping our data secure—and that’s why the NSA has poured billions into breaking these encryption standards. Reports claim the NSA was successful in cracking a lot of the encryption protecting global commerce & personal data. There are clearly vulnerabilities in our digital defenses. Any purchases you make might not actually be private!
Financial Transactions on the Radar
Likewise, the NSA’s “Follow the Money” program sifts through international financial transactions. In 2011, it captured over 180 million records including banking & credit card details. It also emerged that the NSA sometimes violated international legislation when doing so.
Social Media Surveillance
There’s a lot of information on social media and the NSA knows it. The agency monitors social media activity to collect data on behaviors & connections—even how we communicate. It’s unclear exactly how much data they collect from social media. However, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act allows them to spy on our social media as they please.
Accidental American Data Collection
Targeting foreign intelligence occasionally involves catching Americans on the net. In 2018, news broke that the NSA collected over 600 million records of Americans’ phone calls despite not being properly allowed to do so. The figures fell to 434 million in recent years—but it’s still quite a lot!
Data Storage Dilemma
Where does all this data end up? The NSA has huge storage facilities like the Utah Data Center that are designed to hold five zettabytes of data which is around 5 billion terabytes. That’s a lot of digital information being kept—for who knows how long. It’s scary to think about what it means when every byte of data could potentially be stored indefinitely.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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