Report: Benefit of NSA Spying Is 'Overblown'

The National Security Agency's controversial PRISM and phone metadata programs had a "minimal" contribution in the investigation of 225 terrorism cases, a new study finds.

This directly contradicts claims made by President Barack Obama, NSA Chief Gen. Keith Alexander and countless other U.S. officials who insisted both programs had been crucial in fighting and stopping terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.

"We know of at least 50 threats that have been averted because of this information," Obama said at an event in Germany in June.

Months later, Alexander said the two programs helped foil 54 attacks. The phone metadata program played a role in stopping 12 of those "terrorist activities," and PRISM contributed in stopping 53 of the 54 attacks, the outgoing NSA chief said at the Black Hat security conference in August Read more...