--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: much of the data collection conducted by…" description: "\"“much of the data collection conducted by the NSA has manifestly nothing to do with terrorism or national security. Intercepting the communications of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/glenn-greenwald-1215_communication_much-of-the-data-collection-conducted-by_235899.jpg" --- # much of the data collection conducted by the NSA has… ![“much of the data collection conducted by the NSA has manifestly nothing to do with terrorism or national security. Intercepting the communications of the Brazilian oil giant Petrobras or spying on negotiation sessions at an economic summit or targeting the democratically elected leaders of allied…” quote by Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/glenn-greenwald-1215_communication_much-of-the-data-collection-conducted-by_235899.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/glenn-greenwald-1215_communication_much-of-the-data-collection-conducted-by_235899.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cc/glenn-greenwald-1215_communication_much-of-the-data-collection-conducted-by_235899.jpg) > ““much of the data collection conducted by the NSA has manifestly nothing to do with terrorism or national security. Intercepting the communications of the Brazilian oil giant Petrobras or spying on negotiation sessions at an economic summit or targeting the democratically elected leaders of allied states or collecting all Americans’ communications records has no relationship to terrorism. Given the actual surveillance the NSA does, stopping terror is clearly a pretext.”” [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues NSA surveillance is a pretext, unrelated to terrorism, targeting various groups and individuals. **In simple terms:** NSA spying is more about power than security. Key Takeaway Question the true motives behind surveillance. Themes surveillance government privacy power Mood skeptical concerned Type political critical When to use this quote - political debates - legal reforms - public awareness Key Concepts pretext civil liberties mass data collection Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports the pretext claim? - How can oversight be improved? A Different Perspective The claim may overlook legitimate security needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conducted Nsa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conducted-nsa-2377455/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Data collection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/data-collection/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [National security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-security/) [Nsa Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nsa-does-1199442/) [Stopping Terror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stopping-terror-2377456/) [Surveillance Nsa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance-nsa-535844/) [Terrorism National](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorism-national-1155405/) ## Related quotes > [“citizens, had been targeted as well. Still, the sheer scale of diplomatic surveillance the NSA has practiced is unusual and noteworthy. In addition to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/citizens-had-been-targeted-as-well-still-the-sheer-scale-of/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It’s just simply the fact that the NSA does not think anybody should be able to communicate anywhere on the Earth without them being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-just-simply-the-fact-that-the-nsa-does-not-think-anybody-should/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“I think this mass surveillance by the NSA was never about terrorism: It's all about economic spying & social control. It's all about POWER.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/i-think-this-mass-surveillance-by-the-nsa-was-never-about-terrorism/) [Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/) > [Dick Clarke, who was head of counter-terrorism in the National Security Council, pushed constantly for the Principals Committee, which is the key national security…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-blumenthal/dick-clarke-who-was-head-of-counter-terrorism-in-the-national/) [Sidney Blumenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-blumenthal/) > [The war on terrorism has made national security a legitimate concern, and a rising deficit, changes brought on by globalization and even the price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-mahony/the-war-on-terrorism-has-made-national-security-a-legitimate-concern/) [Roger Mahony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-mahony/) > [The central role in the fight against terrorism is with national authorities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gijs-de-vries/the-central-role-in-the-fight-against-terrorism-is-with-national/) [Gijs de Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gijs-de-vries/) > [In the fight against terrorism, national agencies keep full control over their police forces, security and intelligence agencies and judicial authorities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gijs-de-vries/in-the-fight-against-terrorism-national-agencies-keep-full-control/) [Gijs de Vries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gijs-de-vries/) > [The NSA is not looking through people's address books and Visa bills and violating the rights of average citizens. That's not what the NSA…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/the-nsa-is-not-looking-through-people-s-address-books-and-visa-bills/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [“Greenwald told the Associated Press that the documents that Snowden had taken from the NSA constituted “the instruction manual for how the NSA is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/greenwald-told-the-associated-press-that-the-documents-that-snowden/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) > [“It is important not to concentrate the defence case too narrowly on terrorism. That is a grave threat, but not the only one. Invoking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-lucas/it-is-important-not-to-concentrate-the-defence-case-too-narrowly-on/) [Edward Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-lucas/) > [What I said was, the NSA does not voyeuristically pore through U.S. citizens' e-mails. I stand by that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-clapper/what-i-said-was-the-nsa-does-not-voyeuristically-pore-through-u-s/) [James R. Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-clapper/) > [“What the ethnographer is in fact faced with—except when (as, of course, he must do) he is pursuing the more automatized routines of data…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifford-geertz/what-the-ethnographer-is-in-fact-faced-with-except-when-as-of-course/) [Clifford Geertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifford-geertz/) > [Companies that rely on licensing a proprietary dataset should expect to be outpaced by competitors using modern data collection techniques and more frequent updates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/companies-that-rely-on-licensing-a-proprietary-dataset-should-expect/) [Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/) > [Opponents of civil liberties contend the NSA data collection has made our country more safe, but even the most vocal defenders of the program…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/opponents-of-civil-liberties-contend-the-nsa-data-collection-has-made/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [With data collection, 'the sooner the better' is always the best answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marissa-mayer/with-data-collection-the-sooner-the-better-is-always-the-best-answer/) [Marissa Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marissa-mayer/) ## More by Glenn Greenwald > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“The evidence shows that assurances that surveillance is only targeted at those who “have done something wrong” should provide little comfort, since a state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-evidence-shows-that-assurances-that-surveillance-is-only-targeted/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It's hardly news that the Obama administration is intensely and, in many respects, unprecedentedly hostile toward the news-gathering process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-hardly-news-that-the-obama-administration-is-intensely-and-in/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/only-in-america-can-a-renowned-and-devoted-terrorism-supporter-like/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Above even our physical well-being, a central value is keeping the state out of the private realm—our “persons, houses, papers, and effects,” as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/above-even-our-physical-well-being-a-central-value-is-keeping-the/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“That capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left, such is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/that-capability-at-any-time-could-be-turned-around-on-the-american/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Converting the Internet into a system of surveillance thus guts it of its core potential. Worse, it turns the Internet into a tool of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/converting-the-internet-into-a-system-of-surveillance-thus-guts-it-of/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“the desire for privacy is shared by us all as an essential, not ancillary, part of what it means to be human. We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-desire-for-privacy-is-shared-by-us-all-as-an-essential-not/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I don't have a 'side'—I'm responsible for what I say and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/i-don-t-have-a-side-i-m-responsible-for-what-i-say-and-nothing-else/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Encryption matters, and it is not just for spies and philanderers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/encryption-matters-and-it-is-not-just-for-spies-and-philanderers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Among other devices, the agency intercepts and tampers with routers and servers manufactured by Cisco to direct large amounts of Internet traffic back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/among-other-devices-the-agency-intercepts-and-tampers-with-routers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“NSA has increasingly made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/nsa-has-increasingly-made-use-of-a-secret-technology-that-enables-it/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [A key purpose of journalism is to provide an adversarial check on those who wield the greatest power by shining a light on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/a-key-purpose-of-journalism-is-to-provide-an-adversarial-check-on/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“We all instinctively understand that the private realm is where we can act, think, speak, write, experiment, and choose how to be, away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/we-all-instinctively-understand-that-the-private-realm-is-where-we/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Explore all 270 Glenn Greenwald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## More Communication quotes > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. 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Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. 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