The Washington Post quotes Professor Jennifer Granick on the impact of a recent ruling by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals regarding NSA surveillance. 

A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the National Security Agency’s collection of millions of Americans’ phone records violates the USA Patriot Act, marking the first time an appellate panel has weighed in on a controversial surveillance program that has divided Congress and ignited a national debate over the proper scope of the government’s spy powers.

In a blistering 97-page opinion, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit overturned a lower court and determined that the government had stretched the meaning of the statute to enable “sweeping surveillance” of Americans’ data in “staggering” volumes.

…

The ruling has scrambled the terms of the debate, strengthening the hand of those who want changes that go further than those called for in the USA Freedom Act, said civil liberties advocates. “The people who supported the current version of USA Freedom should start asking for more, because we can get more now,” said Jennifer Granick, director of civil liberties at Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet and Society.

Read More