Leaked Documents Reveal How NSA Minimizes Americans' Data

In the weeks following the revelations of secret National Security Agency's surveillance programs, the NSA brass have claimed the agency tries to minimize the amount of data it collects from American citizens. Classified documents published Thursday reveal the exact minimization procedures it uses when such data is incidentally collected.

The documents, posted by The Guardian, were signed by Attorney General Eric Holder in 2009. They corroborate much of what NSA Chief Gen. Keith Alexander and other top intelligence community officials have been saying in congressional testimony, while providing more information about the exact methods the NSA uses to minimize data and the opportunities it provides itself to avoid minimization