Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, has filed a lawsuit against President Barack Obama over the NSA’s practice of collecting and storing the millions of phone numbers Americans call each day, notwithstanding the administration’s insistence that no conversations are being listened to without a court order. But is this practice so unusual in a society where each day people willingly reveal intimate details of their lives on social media?

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, has filed a lawsuit against President Barack Obama over the NSA’s practice of collecting and storing the millions of phone numbers Americans call each day, notwithstanding the administration’s insistence that no conversations are being listened to without a court order. But is this practice so unusual in a society where each day people willingly reveal intimate details of their lives on social media?

How is collecting phone numbers in the security interest of Americans any different from security cameras surveying activity in the public areas of apartment buildings? These public activities are clearly recognized as public activities falling under the plain view exception of the Fourth Amendment. Similarly, phone numbers and email addresses are, in many cases, public knowledge (see your old-fashioned printed phone book).

The NSA’s tracking of phone call destinations — not their content — is no different than a surveillance camera tracking the comings and goings of residents in the name of safety. It is a stretch to suggest that their collection constitutes a violation of privacy rights, and the practice should be permitted if lives can be saved.

Jane CoCo Cowles

Pearl River

source: http://www.lohud.com/story/opinion/readers/2014/02/27/social-media-reveals-more-than-nsa/5882583/