--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The NSA is not looking through people's…" description: "\"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 does.\" — Mic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/michael-gerson-33420_address-books_the-nsa-is-not-looking-through-people-s_1768184.jpg" --- # The NSA is not looking through people's address books and… ![“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 does.” quote by Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/michael-gerson-33420_address-books_the-nsa-is-not-looking-through-people-s_1768184.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/michael-gerson-33420_address-books_the-nsa-is-not-looking-through-people-s_1768184.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1f/michael-gerson-33420_address-books_the-nsa-is-not-looking-through-people-s_1768184.jpg) > “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 does.” [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The NSA does not surveil everyday personal data like address books or Visa bills, contrary to common fears. **In simple terms:** NSA isn’t spying on routine personal records. Key Takeaway Recognize actual surveillance limits. Themes privacy surveillance public perception Mood skeptical informative Type statement public policy When to use this quote - policy debate - citizen awareness - media reporting - legal challenges - public reassurance Key Concepts civil liberties government oversight media narratives Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports the claim? - How does public perception affect policy? A Different Perspective The NSA may still collect other data types not mentioned. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Visa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visa/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [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/) > [“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/) > [“much of the data collection conducted by the NSA has manifestly nothing to do with terrorism or national security. Intercepting the communications of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/much-of-the-data-collection-conducted-by-the-nsa-has-manifestly/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I have a beautiful address book a friend gave me in 1966. I literally cannot open it again. Ever. It sits on the shelf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-herman/i-have-a-beautiful-address-book-a-friend-gave-me-in-1966-i-literally/) Jerry Herman > [Men love watches with multiple functions. My husband has one that is a combination address book, telescope and piano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/men-love-watches-with-multiple-functions-my-husband-has-one-that-is-a/) [Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/) > [On way. He OK? Aeron Coming. Something wrong? Lucian Take me out of your address book. William](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/on-way-he-ok-aeron-coming-something-wrong-lucian-take-me-out-of-your/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [People have no memory of phone numbers now because of the cell phone - their address book is in a cell phone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-bell/people-have-no-memory-of-phone-numbers-now-because-of-the-cell-phone/) [Gordon Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-bell/) > [The sea, as well as the air, is a free and common thing to all; and a particular nation cannot pretend to have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-i/the-sea-as-well-as-the-air-is-a-free-and-common-thing-to-all-and-a/) [Elizabeth I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-i/) > [Old age is - a lot of crossed off names in an address book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/old-age-is-a-lot-of-crossed-off-names-in-an-address-book/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [I have the liberal dictionary right here...let's see how they define water-boarding: 'Something done by the evil troops, who we don't support, to innocent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-have-the-liberal-dictionary-right-here-let-s-see-how-they-define/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [A terrorist doesn't let strangers into her flat because they might be undercover police or intelligence agents, but her children bring their mates home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-muchamore/a-terrorist-doesn-t-let-strangers-into-her-flat-because-they-might-be/) [Robert Muchamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-muchamore/) > [Death is hacking away at my address book and party lists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/death-is-hacking-away-at-my-address-book-and-party-lists/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [Replies began arriving seconds after he pressed send, and soon every single one of the warriors (besides William) had agreed to come home. Take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/replies-began-arriving-seconds-after-he-pressed-send-and-soon-every/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) ## More by Michael Gerson > [This has all the appearance of a foreign power trying to undermine structures of legitimacy of an American election. That is a serious matter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/this-has-all-the-appearance-of-a-foreign-power-trying-to-undermine/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [“Freedom requires virtues it does not produce and may even help undermine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/freedom-requires-virtues-it-does-not-produce-and-may-even-help/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [The Republican Party has become more conservative. The Democratic Party has become marginally more liberal. There's almost no overlap in the middle, ideological overlap,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/the-republican-party-has-become-more-conservative-the-democratic/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [The soft bigotry of low expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/the-soft-bigotry-of-low-expectations/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [It's hard when the worst people in the country are cheering, the people with the confederate flag, the people that do anti-Semitism on Twitter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/it-s-hard-when-the-worst-people-in-the-country-are-cheering-the/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [Parenthood offers many lessons in patience and sacrifice. But ultimately, it is a lesson in humility. The very best thing about your life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/parenthood-offers-many-lessons-in-patience-and-sacrifice-but/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [Atheists can be good people; they just have no objective way to judge the conduct of those who are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/atheists-can-be-good-people-they-just-have-no-objective-way-to-judge/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [The problem with these presidential debates like this is that you can't really prepare for them, because the questions are so individual and personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/the-problem-with-these-presidential-debates-like-this-is-that-you-can/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [“To restrict or legalize abortion, to allow or forbid gay marriage, a legislator would need to write and pass a law, get it signed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/to-restrict-or-legalize-abortion-to-allow-or-forbid-gay-marriage-a/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [When your goal is to bring together the country in a substantive way to say that we're united by values and more - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/when-your-goal-is-to-bring-together-the-country-in-a-substantive-way/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [When you analyze it, Mike Pence could only defend Donald Trump in some circumstances by projecting an image of himself, as though he were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/when-you-analyze-it-mike-pence-could-only-defend-donald-trump-in-some/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [There is some of the paradox of foreign policy polling. So on Iraq and Syria, the President is pretty much doing what Americans want,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/there-is-some-of-the-paradox-of-foreign-policy-polling-so-on-iraq-and/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [“The rational arguments against suicide are compelling. It causes intense suffering for loved ones that few would intend in their right mind. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/the-rational-arguments-against-suicide-are-compelling-it-causes/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) > [“To this point, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has been the Republican flavor of the year. Events from the IRS scandal to NSA revelations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gerson/to-this-point-sen-rand-paul-of-kentucky-has-been-the-republican/) [Michael Gerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) [Explore all 15 Michael Gerson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gerson/) ## More Address books quotes > [People have no memory of phone numbers now because of the cell phone - their address book is in a cell phone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-bell/people-have-no-memory-of-phone-numbers-now-because-of-the-cell-phone/) [Gordon Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-bell/) > [I have a beautiful address book a friend gave me in 1966. I literally cannot open it again. Ever. It sits on the shelf…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-herman/i-have-a-beautiful-address-book-a-friend-gave-me-in-1966-i-literally/) Jerry Herman > [Death is hacking away at my address book and party lists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/death-is-hacking-away-at-my-address-book-and-party-lists/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [A terrorist doesn't let strangers into her flat because they might be undercover police or intelligence agents, but her children bring their mates home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-muchamore/a-terrorist-doesn-t-let-strangers-into-her-flat-because-they-might-be/) [Robert Muchamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-muchamore/) > [Old age is - a lot of crossed off names in an address book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/old-age-is-a-lot-of-crossed-off-names-in-an-address-book/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [On way. He OK? Aeron Coming. Something wrong? Lucian Take me out of your address book. William](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/on-way-he-ok-aeron-coming-something-wrong-lucian-take-me-out-of-your/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [Men love watches with multiple functions. My husband has one that is a combination address book, telescope and piano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-rudner/men-love-watches-with-multiple-functions-my-husband-has-one-that-is-a/) [Rita Rudner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-rudner/) > [Replies began arriving seconds after he pressed send, and soon every single one of the warriors (besides William) had agreed to come home. Take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/replies-began-arriving-seconds-after-he-pressed-send-and-soon-every/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) Browse all 9 Address books quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The NSA is not looking through people's address books and Visa bills and violating the rights of average citizens. 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