The documents released through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, submitted by Russ Kick, reveal annual reports from the National Security Agency (NSA) for fiscal years 2017 and 2018. These reports were created in compliance with the Federal Agency Data Mining Reporting Act and provide insights into the agency’s data mining activities.
In a letter dated March 4, 2021, the NSA responded to Kick’s original FOIA request. Although the NSA released some of the requested documents, certain information was withheld under the provisions of Executive Order 13526, which classifies sensitive information as TOP SECRET due to potential risks to national security. Additionally, other withheld data was protected under statutory laws such as Title 18, U.S. Code 798, and Title 50, U.S. Code 3024(i).
The released reports highlight that the NSA conducts data mining as part of its mission to gather foreign intelligence, particularly to detect terrorist activity. The agency employs advanced analytics to identify predictive patterns within the data. The goal is to discover previously unknown individuals or groups that pose potential threats to national security.
This post was published on May 8, 2024 11:36 am
In January 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14176, titled "Declassification of Records…
Nearly five years ago, The Black Vault filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request…
A newly released set of U.S. Army intelligence records offers a rare glimpse into behind-the-scenes…
In 1999, the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute (DoDPI) released a bibliography of audiovisual training…
Background The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, is…
A newly released batch of documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), reveals…