NSA Chief Claims Massive E-Mail Collection Program Was Nixed Over Privacy Concerns

NSA Director Gen. Keith Alexander addressed the new Guardian reports of mass U.S. email collection on Thursday, saying the NSA terminated the program because it was ineffective and wasn't worth the risk to citizens' privacy.

The Guardian, to which Edward Snowden leaked details of a broad U.S. program to collect phone records of citizens, reported on Thursday that Guardian-obtained NSA documents show a similar program to collect email records. The program, which reportedly began in 2001 under President Bush, continued until 2011 under President Obama and involved mass collection of email "metadata"–records, but not the contents of emails–between U.S. citizens and email accounts outside the country.

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