The debate over the US government's ability to collect telephone data in bulk continues to rage, but President Obama is ready to take some clear steps to reign in the practice once and for all.
In a statement posted by The White House Office of the Press Secretary, laid out further details on how he hopes to curb the National Security Agency (NSA)'s collection methods of American citizens data.
Following up on a January 17 speech that promised a shift away from the current NSA policies, President Obama plans to disconnect prying government eyes from bulk data held by telephone providers.
The move would effectively end the so-called "Section 215 bulk telephony metadata program," forcing government agencies to obtain data on a case-by-case basis and only by request.
Legal maneuvers
The move shifts control back into the hands of telephone carriers and federal judges, who can agree to access data under individual orders from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court or where "national security concerns" are at issue.
"I believe this approach will best ensure that we have the information we need to meet our intelligence needs while enhancing public confidence in the manner in which the information is collected and held," the president explained the statement.
Obama reached his decision after consultation with Congress, privacy and civil liberties groups as well as companies in the private sector as part of "alternative approaches" announced in January that were to be put into place by March 28.
The legislation proposed today won't be in place by that deadline, but the president has directed the Department of Justice to reauthorize the existing program - with his early year modifications in place - for a period of 90 days while the government gets all its ducks in a row.
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