NSA is harvesting hundreds of millions of contact lists from personal e-mail and instant messaging accounts around the world, many of them belonging to Americans. The Washington Post reported on Oct. 14 that the collection takes place overseas, but two senior U.S. intelligence officers told the Post that it sweeps in the contacts of many Americans. An NSA spokesman says the agency “is focused on discovering and developing intelligence about valid foreign intelligence targets like terrorists, human traffickers and drug smugglers” Lawyer: NSA can’t distinguish whether the information comes from a terrorist, a criminal or a law-abiding citizen.”]
Source: https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/nsa-e-spying-call-for-governance-a-6151