FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: media@aclu.org

NEW YORK – President Obama today announced a plan to end the NSA’s mass collection of phone records. According to the proposal to change surveillance under the Patriot Act’s Section 215, the government would request records from phone companies using court orders based on individual suspicion.

Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, had this reaction:

“The president’s plan is a major step in the right direction and a victory for privacy. But this must be the beginning of surveillance reform, not the end. It is gratifying to know that the president has heard the growing bipartisan opposition to the NSA’S mass collection of phone records, and will heed the advice of his own review panel. However, today's announcement leaves in place other surveillance programs with equally troubling implications for civil liberties. Comprehensive reform should begin with passage of the USA FREEDOM Act, a bill that safeguards privacy while also ensuring that the government has the tools it needs to investigate real threats. We must restore the proper balance between security and our constitutional rights.”

More information on NSA surveillance is at:

aclu.org/nsa-surveillance