[Girlene]

The impression most have is that they "tap" a phone and listen live to an ongoing conversation. I do not think that is the case. I think they have ALL content on file and simply have to decide which calls to pull out of storage if they wish to listen to them.<

It's unclear whether they have the actual content stored or not....but if it's possible to store all these conversation, I would guarantee they have it.

Didn't Feinstein say last week, after the leak, that they are only storing "metadata"?

[P-Marlowe]

Didn't Feinstein say last week, after the leak, that they are only storing "metadata"?

Unless you are using an old rotary dial analog phone, every kind of electronic communication is "data". Phone conversations are changed from analog to digital before they leave your phone. When it is recorded it is recorded as "data".

They are not only picking up every call on their servers, but they are storing every conversation as "data".

They have the capability of storing every electronic conversation. That is why they are building that huge data storehouse in Utah.

George Orwell had no idea that when Big Brother took over he could not only listen to conversations in real time, but go back years and pick up conversations that you have long ago forgotten you even had.