Audio By Carbonatix
A federal court has ruled that the US intelligence’s surveillance program exposed by whistleblower Edward Snowden was unlawful, and possibly unconstitutional.
A US federal appeals court on Wednesday ruled that the controversial National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance program exposed by whistleblower Edward Snowden was illegal.
The ruling stopped short of calling the program unconstitutional.
The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said that the program, under which the NSA collected and analyzed bulk data provided by telecommunications companies, was in violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and could have been unconstitutional.
"Seven years ago, as the news declared I was being charged as a criminal for speaking the truth, I never imagined that I would live to see our courts condemn the NSA's activities as unlawful and in the same ruling credit me for exposing them," said Snowden, who fled to Russia after exposing the program, on Twitter. "And yet that day has arrived."
Seven years ago, as the news declared I was being charged as a criminal for speaking the truth, I never imagined that I would live to see our courts condemn the NSA's activities as unlawful and in the same ruling credit me for exposing them.
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 2, 2020
And yet that day has arrived. https://t.co/FRdG2zUA4U
He still faces charges of espionage in the US.
After initially denying that the intelligence agency collected information on Americans, officials maintained that the spying helped the country combat domestic extremism.
The most popular case cited was that of four California residents Basaaly Saeed Moalin, Ahmed Nasir Taalil Mohamud, Mohamed Mohamud, and Issa Doreh who have been convicted of funding the Al-Shabaab extremist group in Somalia.
NSA's domestic spying program helped get this conviction, which will not be impacted by the latest ruling.
However, human rights organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union have hailed the ruling as "a victory for our privacy rights."
Latest Stories
-
Nigeria to seek compensation for property abandoned by citizens fleeing South Africa
23 minutes -
Greek politician’s mother dies of wounds after arson attack
25 minutes -
Three die in Mexico City World Cup celebrations
36 minutes -
The cost of waiting for the rains
37 minutes -
Four European clubs battle for Prince Amoako Jnr’s signature
38 minutes -
Issaka Seidu closes in on IFK Göteborg move after agreeing personal terms
39 minutes -
NCCE dismisses reports of GH¢144m budget freeze, insists civic education activities continue
44 minutes -
One Ghanaian shot dead during mass xenophobic protests in South Africa
52 minutes -
Vivo Energy completes acquisition of TotalEnergies Marketing Jordan, introduces Engen brand
1 hour -
Security threats go beyond borders, linked to governance and inequality – Prof. Kwesi Aning warns
1 hour -
Prof. Kofi Agyekum: Authorship is earned, not owed: Protecting integrity in academic research
1 hour -
Ga Mantse calls for collective action, stricter enforcement to address recurring flooding in Accra
2 hours -
Royal Diadem School celebrates 2026 graduates, urges discipline and integrity as students transition to SHS
2 hours -
Lynx Electronics opens pre-orders for new Octave Bluetooth speaker
2 hours -
Asiedu Nketia calls for overhaul of global economic order, says Africa’s sovereignty remains incomplete
2 hours