Domestic Surveillance Techniques

Related Links

How the NSA's Domestic Spying Program Works Timeline of NSA Domestic Spying The State Secrets Privilege Eavesdropping 101 Warrantless Wiretapping Was Far More Involved Than Previously Known: Stellar Wind House Extends Warrantless Email Snooping for 5 More Years - FISA At&T's Role in Surveillance Supreme Court Terminates Warrantless Electronic Spying Case PBS Interview with AT&T's Mark Klein about NSA Data Intercepts Behind the legal fight over NSA's "Stellar Wind" surveillance How the U.S. Became Switchboard to the World NSA Domestic Interception Points Uncovering Stingrays, a Troubling New Location Tracking Device Ragtime: Code name of NSA's Secret Domestic Intelligence Program Revealed A hidden world, growing beyond control The Internet is a surveillance state Who Has Your Back? Which companies help protect your data from the government? Are all telephone calls recorded and accessible to the US government? After the Tragedy in Boston, More Government Surveillance is Not the Answer

Surveillance Strategy

Our Collection Techniques

NSA technicians have installed intercept stations at key junction points, or switches, throughout the country. These switches are located in large windowless buildings owned by the major telecommunication companies and control the domestic internet traffic flow across the nation. A fiber optic splitter is placed on the incoming communication lines and routes the traffic to an NSA intercept station for processing. Eventually, all of the domestic data flow will be routed to the new Utah Data Center when it opens in Fall 2013. The NSA also monitors all satellite communications in and out of the U.S. via satellite receivers located across the country.

NSA intercept station - listening device

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Surveillance Data from Other Sources

In addition to our own data collection activities, the Domestic Surveillance Directorate receives a constant flow of information from other sources. For more information about these sources, visit Our Partners page.