Published on Mar 18, 2017
Frontline, May 2014. After 9/11, the government established massive domestic surveillance, including collecting and analyzing the entire internet fire hose of information.
Starting with the hack of Glen Greenwald’s email account, this is how The Guardian established contact with Ed Snowden.
The biggest whistle blower in the history of the United States, the secrets of the NSA were turned over for everyone to see.
Everything started with Ed Snowden establishing contact in Hong Kong with reporters from The Guardian. Before The Guardian could turn over these documents, they had to scrub them for sensitive information that they shouldn’t disclose.
The problem was where do they draw those lines? What’s acceptable and what’s sensitive? The Program was started by the NSA immediately after Sept. 11, 2001. From that point on, domestic surveillance became fair game in the interest of national security.
It was started in complete secret. The Program was written by the Vice-President’s attorney. Dick Cheney designed the order which authorized The Program. George Bush signed it.
The order was hand carried to the head of the NSA at Fort Meade. Starting with collecting internet data, The Program expanded throughout every facet of domestic life in the United States.