Snowden: the NSA's bulk phone-records order
Verified: Documented in primary records or confirmed by reputable inquiry/reporting.
The Guardian published a secret court order requiring a Verizon unit to give the NSA call records on an ongoing basis. Three days later the source identified himself as Edward Snowden.
Confirmed
The order is in the Vault. A federal appeals court later ruled the program had not been authorised by Section 215 of the Patriot Act (2nd Circuit, 7 May 2015). The BBC reported in 2017 that Snowden had not been pardoned and was living in Russia.
Claimed, disputed or not established
The program's value and legality remain argued. This page covers the Verizon order, not the whole Snowden archive.
Reported impact
Court challenges and legislative changes to bulk collection in the US, and a wider surveillance debate among allies.
Sources (opened in a new tab)
- The Guardian: NSA collecting phone records of millions of Verizon customers ↗https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/06/nsa-phone-records-verizon-court-order
- The Guardian: Edward Snowden, NSA files source ↗https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance
- ACLU: appeals court strikes down NSA phone spying program ↗https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/appeals-court-strikes-down-nsa-phone-spying-program-aclu-lawsuit
- BBC News: Snowden not pardoned ↗https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38659068
Connected
- Agencies: NSA
- Related case files: GCHQ “Tempora” and the Big Brother Watch ruling · Bundestag NSA inquiry: BND selectors and monitoring of allies
- Related leaks: Snowden: the PRISM slides
- Vault documents: FISA Court order to Verizon (published by The Guardian) ↗
- Case board · Timeline (2013) · Document vault · How we verify leaks
This page describes and cites public reporting. It does not host or link to leaked files, and it names no private individuals.