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November 7, 2013

C.I.A. Is Said to Pay AT&T for Call DataBy CHARLIE SAVAGE

WASHINGTON The C.I.A.is

paying AT&Tmore than $10 million a year to

assist ith o!erseas "o#nterterrorism

in!estigations y e%ploiting the "ompanys

!ast 'ataase o( phone re"or's) hi"h

in"l#'es Ameri"ans international "alls)

a""or'ing to go!ernment o((i"ials.

The "ooperation is "on'#"te' #n'er a

!ol#ntary "ontra"t) not #n'er s#poenas or "o#rt

or'ers "ompelling the "ompany to parti"ipate)a""or'ing to the o((i"ials. The C.I.A. s#pplies phone n#mers o( o!erseas terrorism s#spe"ts)

an' AT&T sear"hes its 'ataase an' pro!i'es re"or's o( "alls that may help i'enti(y (oreign

asso"iates) the o((i"ials sai'. The "ompany has a h#ge ar"hi!e o( 'ata on phone "alls) oth

(oreign an' 'omesti") that ere han'le' y its netor* e+#ipment) not ,#st those o( its on

"#stomers.

The program a''s a ne 'imension to the 'eate o!er go!ernment spying an' the pri!a"y o(

"omm#ni"ations re"or's) hi"h has een (o"#se' onNational Se"#rity Agen"yprograms in

re"ent months. The 'is"los#re she's (#rther light on the ties eteen intelligen"e o((i"ialsan' "omm#ni"ations ser!i"e pro!i'ers. An' it shos ho agen"ies eyon' the N.S.A. #se

meta'ata logs o( the 'ate) '#ration an' phone n#mers in!ol!e' in a "all) #t not the

"ontent to analy-e lin*s eteen people thro#gh programs reg#late' y an in"onsistent

pat"hor* o( legal stan'ar's) pro"e'#res an' o!ersight.

e"a#se the C.I.A. is prohiite' (rom spying on the 'omesti" a"ti!ities o( Ameri"ans) the

agen"y imposes pri!a"y sa(eg#ar's on the program) sai' the o((i"ials) spea*ing on the

"on'ition o( anonymity e"a#se it is "lassi(ie'. /ost o( the "all logs pro!i'e' y AT&T

in!ol!e (oreignto(oreign "alls) #t hen the "ompany pro'#"es re"or's o( international"alls ith one en' in the nite' States) it 'oes not 'is"lose the i'entity o( the Ameri"ans an'

2mas*s3 se!eral 'igits o( their phone n#mers) the o((i"ials sai'.

Still) the agen"y "an re(er s#"h mas*e' n#mers to the 4..I.) hi"h "an iss#e an

a'ministrati!e s#poena re+#iring AT&T to pro!i'e the #n"ensore' 'ata. The #rea#

han'les any 'omesti" in!estigation) #t sometimes shares ith the C.I.A. the in(ormation

ao#t the Ameri"an parti"ipant in those "alls) the o((i"ials sai'.

Figure 1 att world hq dallas tx

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/charlie_savage/index.htmlhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/c/central_intelligence_agency/index.html?inline=nyt-orghttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/at_and_t/index.html?inline=nyt-orghttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/national_security_agency/index.html?inline=nyt-orghttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/charlie_savage/index.htmlhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/c/central_intelligence_agency/index.html?inline=nyt-orghttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/at_and_t/index.html?inline=nyt-orghttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/national_security_agency/index.html?inline=nyt-org

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5ean oy') a spo*esman (or the C.I.A.) 'e"line' to "on(irm the program. #t he sai' the

agen"ys intelligen"e "olle"tion a"ti!ities ere la(#l an' 2s#,e"t to e%tensi!e o!ersight.3

2The C.I.A. prote"ts the nation an' #phol's pri!a"y rights o( Ameri"ans y ens#ring that its

intelligen"e "olle"tion a"ti!ities are (o"#se' on a"+#iring (oreign intelligen"e an'

"o#nterintelligen"e in a""or'an"e ith .S. las)3 he sai'. 2The C.I.A. is e%pressly

(ori''en (rom #n'erta*ing intelligen"e "olle"tion a"ti!ities insi'e the nite' States 6(or thep#rpose o( a"+#iring in(ormation "on"erning the 'omesti" a"ti!ities o( .S. persons) an'

the C.I.A. 'oes not 'o so.3

/ar* Siegel) an AT&T spo*esman) sai'7 2We !al#e o#r "#stomers pri!a"y an' or* har'

to prote"t it y ens#ring "omplian"e ith the la in all respe"ts. We 'o not "omment on

+#estions "on"erning national se"#rity.3

The C.I.A. program appears to '#pli"ate or* per(orme' y the N.S.A. #t a senior

Ameri"an intelligen"e o((i"ial) hile 'e"lining to a''ress hether the AT&T allian"e e%ists)s#ggeste' that it o#l' e rational (or the C.I.A. to ha!e its on program to "he"* "alling

patterns lin*e' to o!erseas terrorism s#spe"ts.

With onthegro#n' operati!es aroa' see*ing to 'isr#pt terrorist a"ti!ities in 2time

sensiti!e threat sit#ations)3 the o((i"ial sai') the C.I.A. re+#ires 2a "ertain spee') agility an'

ta"ti"al responsi!eness that 'i((ers3 (rom that o( other agen"ies. 2That nee' to a"t itho#t

'elay is o(ten est met hen C.I.A. has 'e!elope' its on "apailities to la(#lly a"+#ire

ne"essary (oreign intelligen"e in(ormation)3 the o((i"ial sai'.

Sin"e 8#ne) hen 'o"#ments lea*e' y the (ormer N.S.A. "ontra"tor 9'ar' 8. Sno'en

egan to s#r(a"e) an international 'eate has er#pte' o!er the s"ope o( N.S.A. s#r!eillan"e

an' the agen"ys relationships ith Ameri"an "ompanies that operate netor*s or pro!i'e

Internet "omm#ni"ations ser!i"es. /any o( the "ompanies ha!e proteste' that they are

legally "ompelle' to "ooperate. The AT&TC.I.A. arrangement ill#strates that s#"h a"ti!ities

are not limite' to the N.S.A.) an' that "ooperation sometimes is !ol#ntary.

While o((i"ials in Washington are 'is"#ssing hether to rein in the N.S.A. on Ameri"an soil)

go!ernments in 9#rope are 'eman'ing more transparen"y (rom the "ompanies an'threatening greater restraints. AT&T is e%ploring a p#r"hase o( :o'a(one) a 9#ropean

"ellphone ser!i"e pro!i'er) an' 9#ropean reg#lators an' politi"ians ha!e !oe' to intensely

s"r#tini-e s#"h a 'eal.

AT&T has a history o( or*ing ith the go!ernment. It helpe' (a"ilitatethe #sh

a'ministrations arrantless s#r!eillan"e program y alloing the N.S.A. to install se"ret

e+#ipment in its phone an' Internet sit"hing (a"ilities) a""or'ing to an a""o#nt y a (ormer

AT&T te"hni"ian ma'e p#li" in a las#it.

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It as also one o( threephone "ompanies that eme''e' employees(rom ;00< to aro#n'

;00= in an 4..I. (a"ility) here they #se' "ompany 'ataases to pro!i'e +#i"* analysis o(

"all re"or's. The eme''ing as sh#t 'on ami' "riti"ism y the 8#sti"e 5epartments

inspe"tor general that o((i"ers ere otaining Ameri"ans "all 'ata itho#t iss#ing

s#poenas.

An') (or at least the past si% years) AT&T has eme''e' its employees in (e'erally (#n'e''r#g in!estigation o((i"esto analy-e "all re"or's) in response to s#poenas) to tra"* 'r#g

'ealers ho sit"h phones. Arie(ing 'o"#ment(or that program sai' AT&T ha' re"or's o("alls han'le' y its sit"hes in"l#'ing 2a tremen'o#s amo#nt o( international n#mers

that pla"e "alls thro#gh or roam on the AT&T netor*3 'ating a"* to 1>?=) an'

'es"rie' e((orts to *eep its e%isten"e 2#n'er the ra'ar.3

The history o( the C.I.A. program remains m#r*y. It egan sometime e(ore ;010) an' as

stoppe' at some point #t then as res#me') a""or'ing to the o((i"ials. They sai' the Ho#se

an' Senate Intelligen"e Committees ha' een rie(e' ao#t it.

While the N.S.A. is separately !a"##ming #p "all meta'ata aroa') most s"r#tiny in the

nite' States has (o"#se' on its on"ese"ret program that #ses "o#rt or'ers to 'omesti"

phone "ompanies #n'er the @atriot A"tto assemle a "omprehensi!e 'ataase o( Ameri"ans

"alls.

Some lama*ers ha!e propose' mo'i(ying it to ha!e the phone "ompanies) not the N.S.A.)

"ontrol the 'ata) similar to ho the C.I.A. has een operating.

Still) there may e limits to "omparisons. The N.S.A. is s#,e"t to "o#rtimpose' r#les ao#t

the stan'ar' that m#st e met e(ore its analysts may gain a""ess to its 'ataase) hi"h

"ontains re"or's (rom m#ltiple pro!i'ers. The C.I.A. appears to ha!e a (reer han') an'

o((i"ials sai' it ha' s#mitte' signi(i"antly more +#eries to AT&T (or 'ata.

In a''ition) hile oth programs analy-e "rossor'er "alls o( Ameri"ans) the N.S.A.s

@atriot A"t 'ataase 'oes not in"l#'e p#rely (oreign "alls) hile AT&T 'oes not #se p#rely

'omesti" "alls in analy-ing lin*s (or the C.I.A.) o((i"ials sai'.

Asent an emergen"y) phone "ompanies are #s#ally legally (ori''en to pro!i'e "#stomers

"alling re"or's to the go!ernment e%"ept in response to a s#poena or a "o#rt or'er) an' the

C.I.A. has a man'ate to (o"#s o!erseas. ayers ho re!iee' the program) o((i"ials sai')

"on"l#'e' that AT&Ts partial mas*ing o( Ameri"an phone n#mers satis(ie' those

restri"tions) "iting a stat#tory e%"eption to 'ata pri!a"y las"o!ering 2the a"+#isition y the

nite' States go!ernment o( (oreign intelligen"e in(ormation (rom international or (oreign

"omm#ni"ations.3

https://www.eff.org/files/March2007-caproni-testimony.pdfhttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/us/drug-agents-use-vast-phone-trove-eclipsing-nsas.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/us/drug-agents-use-vast-phone-trove-eclipsing-nsas.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/09/02/us/hemisphere-project.htmlhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/u/usa_patriot_act/index.html?inline=nyt-classifierhttp://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2511https://www.eff.org/files/March2007-caproni-testimony.pdfhttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/us/drug-agents-use-vast-phone-trove-eclipsing-nsas.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/us/drug-agents-use-vast-phone-trove-eclipsing-nsas.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/09/02/us/hemisphere-project.htmlhttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/u/usa_patriot_act/index.html?inline=nyt-classifierhttp://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2511

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That same e%"eption has "ome to p#li" attention e(ore. It as apparently in!o*e'y a

stillse"ret 8an. ?) ;010) memo ritten y the 8#sti"e 5epartments O((i"e o( egal

Co#nsel. A ;010 inspe"tor generals report'es"rie' the memo as alloing the 4..I. to

otain "all re"or's 2on a !ol#ntary asis (rom pro!i'ers) itho#t any legal pro"ess or a

+#ali(ying emergen"y.3

While the #rea# sai' it o#l' not #se that memo) the report arne' that the e%isten"e o( thego!ernments still"lassi(ie' legal theory "reate' a 2signi(i"ant gap3 in 2a""o#ntaility an'

o!ersight3 an' #rge' Congress to mo'i(y the stat#te. ama*ers ha!e not a"te' on that

re"ommen'ation.

http://www.emptywheel.net/2011/02/12/fbi-still-inventing-new-ways-to-surveil-people-with-no-oversight/https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/814117-2010-doj-ig-report-on-fbi-exigent-letters.htmlhttp://www.emptywheel.net/2011/02/12/fbi-still-inventing-new-ways-to-surveil-people-with-no-oversight/https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/814117-2010-doj-ig-report-on-fbi-exigent-letters.html