--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The NSA routinely lies in response to…" description: "\"The NSA routinely lies in response to congressional inquiries about the scope of surveillance in America.\" — Edward Snowden" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62d/edward-snowden-555_america_the-nsa-routinely-lies-in-response-to-co_899476.jpg" --- # The NSA routinely lies in response to congressional… ![“The NSA routinely lies in response to congressional inquiries about the scope of surveillance in America.” quote by Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62d/edward-snowden-555_america_the-nsa-routinely-lies-in-response-to-co_899476.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62d/edward-snowden-555_america_the-nsa-routinely-lies-in-response-to-co_899476.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62d/edward-snowden-555_america_the-nsa-routinely-lies-in-response-to-co_899476.jpg) > “The NSA routinely lies in response to congressional inquiries about the scope of surveillance in America.” [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Government agencies often conceal surveillance details, undermining transparency. **In simple terms:** NSA hides surveillance info. Key Takeaway Demand transparency from authorities. Themes privacy government accountability surveillance Mood cautious urgent Type political informative When to use this quote - legislative hearings - journalistic investigations - whistleblowing Key Concepts civil liberties information ethics public trust Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms ensure honest oversight? - How can citizens protect their privacy? A Different Perspective National security concerns can justify secrecy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Inquiry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inquiry/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Scope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scope/) [Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance/) ## Related quotes > [The NSA and Israel wrote Stuxnet together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-and-israel-wrote-stuxnet-together/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I am not trying to bring down the NSA, I am working to improve the NSA. I am still working for the NSA right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-am-not-trying-to-bring-down-the-nsa-i-am-working-to-improve-the-nsa/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It's clear the CIA was trying to play 'keep away' with documents relevant to an investigation by their overseers in Congress, and that's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-s-clear-the-cia-was-trying-to-play-keep-away-with-documents/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Arguing that you don't care about privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don't care about free speech…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/arguing-that-you-don-t-care-about-privacy-because-you-have-nothing-to/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Someone recently talked about mass surveillance and the NSA revelations as being the atomic moment for computer scientists. The atomic bomb was the moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/someone-recently-talked-about-mass-surveillance-and-the-nsa/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We need the security standards to apply to the internet. We need to be able to trust that when we send our emails through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-need-the-security-standards-to-apply-to-the-internet-we-need-to-be/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Under observation, we act less free, which means we effectively are less free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/under-observation-we-act-less-free-which-means-we-effectively-are/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Any analyst at any time can target anyone. Any selector, anywhere I, sitting at my desk, certainly had the authorities to wiretap anyone, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/any-analyst-at-any-time-can-target-anyone-any-selector-anywhere-i/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I took what I knew to the public, so what affects all of us can be discussed by all of us in the light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-took-what-i-knew-to-the-public-so-what-affects-all-of-us-can-be/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The public needs to know the kinds of things a government does in its name, or the 'consent of the governed' is meaningless... The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-public-needs-to-know-the-kinds-of-things-a-government-does-in-its/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [They still have negligent auditing, they still have things going for a walk, and they have no idea where they're coming from and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/they-still-have-negligent-auditing-they-still-have-things-going-for-a/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ I believe that when \[senator Ron\] Wyden and \[senator Mark\] Udall asked about the scale of this, they \[the NSA\] said it did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-believe-that-when-senator-ron-wyden-and-senator-mark-udall-asked/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We need to think about encryption not as this sort of arcane, black art. It's a basic protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-need-to-think-about-encryption-not-as-this-sort-of-arcane-black/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-are-also-asked-to-take-an-oath-and-that-s-the-oath-of-service-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [What the NSA really wants is the capability of retrospective investigation. They want to have a perfect record of the last five years of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/what-the-nsa-really-wants-is-the-capability-of-retrospective/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## More by Edward Snowden > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Much of what I saw in Geneva really disillusioned me about how my government functions and what its impact is in the world. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/much-of-what-i-saw-in-geneva-really-disillusioned-me-about-how-my/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [The NSA and Israel wrote Stuxnet together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-and-israel-wrote-stuxnet-together/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [As a general rule, so long as you have any choice at all, you should never route through or peer with the UK under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/as-a-general-rule-so-long-as-you-have-any-choice-at-all-you-should/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ \[Brazil\] went to the UN and said, "We need new standards for this." We need to take a look at what they're calling "data… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/brazil-went-to-the-un-and-said-we-need-new-standards-for-this-we-need/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-are-also-asked-to-take-an-oath-and-that-s-the-oath-of-service-the/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We need to think about encryption not as this sort of arcane, black art. It's a basic protection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-need-to-think-about-encryption-not-as-this-sort-of-arcane-black/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [A lot of people in 2008 voted for Obama. I did not vote for him. I voted for a third party. But I believed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/a-lot-of-people-in-2008-voted-for-obama-i-did-not-vote-for-him-i/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Too often we forget that social and political movements don't happen overnight. They don't bring change immediately - you have to build a critical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/too-often-we-forget-that-social-and-political-movements-don-t-happen/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [ There was a real choice when \[Barack Obama\] became president. It was a very difficult choice - to say, "We're not going to hold… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/there-was-a-real-choice-when-barack-obama-became-president-it-was-a/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [We've learned that we've allowed technological capabilities to dictate policies and practices, rather than ensuring that our laws and values guide our technological capabilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/we-ve-learned-that-we-ve-allowed-technological-capabilities-to/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [It's much easier, I think, to protect communications while they're in transit at least, than it is to enforce legislation in every country in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-s-much-easier-i-think-to-protect-communications-while-they-re-in/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [If an adversary didn't target our power plants but they did target the core routers, the backbones that tie our internet connections together, entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-an-adversary-didn-t-target-our-power-plants-but-they-did-target/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I care more about the country than what happens to me. But we can't allow the law to become a political weapon or agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/i-care-more-about-the-country-than-what-happens-to-me-but-we-can-t/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) [Explore all 478 Edward Snowden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The NSA routinely lies in response to congressional inquiries about the scope of surveillance in America.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edward Snowden" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-routinely-lies-in-response-to-congressional-inquiries-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-routinely-lies-in-response-to-congressional-inquiries-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62d/edward-snowden-555_america_the-nsa-routinely-lies-in-response-to-co_899476.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62d/edward-snowden-555_america_the-nsa-routinely-lies-in-response-to-co_899476.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62d/edward-snowden-555_america_the-nsa-routinely-lies-in-response-to-co_899476.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The NSA routinely lies in response to congressional inquiries about the scope of surveillance in America.” — Edward Snowden", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edward Snowden", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The NSA routinely lies in response...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-routinely-lies-in-response-to-congressional-inquiries-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-nsa-routinely-lies-in-response-to-congressional-inquiries-about/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```