The Guardian managed to obtain a copy of a FISA court order to Verizon that demands a log be provided to the NSA for all calls made on Verizon’s network for a three-month period ending July 19, 2013. This log is supposed to provide the calling and receiving phone numbers, time of call, duration, and location data.

First question, was Verizon the only telecom served with one of these, or was it the only court order leaked to the press? I could see Verizon being targeted because it is the largest, but if FISA was willing to issue this kind of order for one telecom, I don’t see NSA stopping with Verizon.

Second question, what the hell does the NSA need with all of that data? If it’s pursuant to an on-going investigation, then the agency should have been able to narrow the scope of their request. If it’s just data mining, then FISA should’ve told NSA to go to hell. FISA is supposed to a safeguard against this kind of unconstitutional overreach, not a damn rubber stamp.

Third question, what’s going to happen to all that data when/if the NSA’s investigation ends? I have a nasty feeling that the entire data will find its way to one of NSA’s servers, “just in case” those records might be needed again.

Fourth question, what other governmental entities will have access to that trove of data gathered under the FISA order? If the Feds can use the provisions of the PATRIOT Act to fight the War on Drugs in addition to the War on Terror, then I can’t see this data not being used for purposes beyond what the NSA “needs.”

Final question, will this generate any outrage beyond the chattering classes? I’d like to think so, but I’m skeptical.

Already, it’s being reported that a couple of senators are defending the NSA’s actions because “they’ve doing it for years and it’s produced results.” Exactly how is that supposed to make me feel better?

Maybe Rand Paul will do another filibuster about this.