Gordon Carrera

It is a massive one. The world doesn't yet know that the source for this article is Edward Snowden. All they get is this remarkable story. I remember it dropping and thinking, where has this come from? It just felt so unusual as a story. We should explain what it was and why it's so significant.

It is a massive one. The world doesn't yet know that the source for this article is Edward Snowden. All they get is this remarkable story. I remember it dropping and thinking, where has this come from? It just felt so unusual as a story. We should explain what it was and why it's so significant.

As the story you read says, it's a court order to the company Verizon that demands it hands over the details of every phone call in America. under Section 215 of the Patriot Act. This was the successor of the secret program we talked about before, known as Stellar Wind, created after 9-11. And what it was after was what's called the metadata, not the content of the call.

As the story you read says, it's a court order to the company Verizon that demands it hands over the details of every phone call in America. under Section 215 of the Patriot Act. This was the successor of the secret program we talked about before, known as Stellar Wind, created after 9-11. And what it was after was what's called the metadata, not the content of the call.

As the story you read says, it's a court order to the company Verizon that demands it hands over the details of every phone call in America. under Section 215 of the Patriot Act. This was the successor of the secret program we talked about before, known as Stellar Wind, created after 9-11. And what it was after was what's called the metadata, not the content of the call.

So it's basically saying these two phones connected at this time for so long, not necessarily what was said in that phone call. But it allows the idea for the NSA and then the FBI to kind of carry out searches on it to look for terrorists or other suspects. The point being, though, that this looks like domestic surveillance by the NSA, a foreign intelligence agency.

So it's basically saying these two phones connected at this time for so long, not necessarily what was said in that phone call. But it allows the idea for the NSA and then the FBI to kind of carry out searches on it to look for terrorists or other suspects. The point being, though, that this looks like domestic surveillance by the NSA, a foreign intelligence agency.

So it's basically saying these two phones connected at this time for so long, not necessarily what was said in that phone call. But it allows the idea for the NSA and then the FBI to kind of carry out searches on it to look for terrorists or other suspects. The point being, though, that this looks like domestic surveillance by the NSA, a foreign intelligence agency.

And that was stunning, partly because the US Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, just a few months before had been asked in Congress by a senator, almost a question which suggests that the senator knew about this program, because the senator said, does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans? And Clapper's reply was, no.

And that was stunning, partly because the US Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, just a few months before had been asked in Congress by a senator, almost a question which suggests that the senator knew about this program, because the senator said, does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans? And Clapper's reply was, no.

And that was stunning, partly because the US Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, just a few months before had been asked in Congress by a senator, almost a question which suggests that the senator knew about this program, because the senator said, does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans? And Clapper's reply was, no.

Defend.

Defend.

Defend.

I think what's interesting, if it had just been that one story, it would have been big, but actually it's really an American story. It's about the American Constitution and legal protections. But, and I think you can imagine US officials going, okay, well, you know, that's bad.

I think what's interesting, if it had just been that one story, it would have been big, but actually it's really an American story. It's about the American Constitution and legal protections. But, and I think you can imagine US officials going, okay, well, you know, that's bad.

I think what's interesting, if it had just been that one story, it would have been big, but actually it's really an American story. It's about the American Constitution and legal protections. But, and I think you can imagine US officials going, okay, well, you know, that's bad.

But then the Guardian tells US officials who they're in contact with, that they've got another story coming down the line. And I think that's important because it makes clear that it's not just a single document that's been leaked, but there's more and it's coming from what looks like the inside the NSA. So the next day...

But then the Guardian tells US officials who they're in contact with, that they've got another story coming down the line. And I think that's important because it makes clear that it's not just a single document that's been leaked, but there's more and it's coming from what looks like the inside the NSA. So the next day...

But then the Guardian tells US officials who they're in contact with, that they've got another story coming down the line. And I think that's important because it makes clear that it's not just a single document that's been leaked, but there's more and it's coming from what looks like the inside the NSA. So the next day...