Army General Tapped to Lead NSA Claims Ignorance Over Controversial Spying Powers, Leaving Many Worried.
The Army general nominated to lead the National Security Agency has been repeatedly asked about how he would use the agency's vast spying powers, but his answers have been vague and lacking in detail. Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd, a career Army officer, was tapped by President Donald Trump earlier this year to replace the previous NSA director, who was ousted after a campaign by conservative influencer Laura Loomer.
During Senate confirmation hearings, Rudd was asked about his views on the agency's "backdoor" searches of American communications, which are among the most controversial issues about NSA spying. The backdoor searches allow the federal government to search for information on US citizens and residents in the vast troves of communications the NSA has collected while searching for foreign threats.
Rudd claimed not to know much about the law that governs these searches, despite it being a long-standing issue that has dominated headlines about the NSA. "This is an issue I have limited familiarity within my current role with USINDOPACOM," he said in a written questionnaire. "At this time, I defer to NSA leadership to fully characterize the existing efforts taking place under this authority."
When asked by Senator Elissa Slotkin whether the NSA should spy on Americans, Rudd responded that if confirmed, he would follow his constitutional responsibilities and applicable laws. However, this answer has left many worried about how he plans to use the agency's powerful tools.
Privacy advocates have long argued that these backdoor searches are a huge privacy violation, pointing to the thousands of times the FBI has misused its own backdoor search authority. Demand Progress senior policy adviser Hajar Hammado said that despite Rudd's assurances, the agency has a long history of violating Americans' privacy and other constitutional rights.
The nomination of Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd to lead the NSA is seen by many as a concern, particularly given President Trump's own views on surveillance and civil liberties. The Intercept will be watching his Senate confirmation hearings closely to see how he plans to use the agency's powerful tools.
The Army general nominated to lead the National Security Agency has been repeatedly asked about how he would use the agency's vast spying powers, but his answers have been vague and lacking in detail. Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd, a career Army officer, was tapped by President Donald Trump earlier this year to replace the previous NSA director, who was ousted after a campaign by conservative influencer Laura Loomer.
During Senate confirmation hearings, Rudd was asked about his views on the agency's "backdoor" searches of American communications, which are among the most controversial issues about NSA spying. The backdoor searches allow the federal government to search for information on US citizens and residents in the vast troves of communications the NSA has collected while searching for foreign threats.
Rudd claimed not to know much about the law that governs these searches, despite it being a long-standing issue that has dominated headlines about the NSA. "This is an issue I have limited familiarity within my current role with USINDOPACOM," he said in a written questionnaire. "At this time, I defer to NSA leadership to fully characterize the existing efforts taking place under this authority."
When asked by Senator Elissa Slotkin whether the NSA should spy on Americans, Rudd responded that if confirmed, he would follow his constitutional responsibilities and applicable laws. However, this answer has left many worried about how he plans to use the agency's powerful tools.
Privacy advocates have long argued that these backdoor searches are a huge privacy violation, pointing to the thousands of times the FBI has misused its own backdoor search authority. Demand Progress senior policy adviser Hajar Hammado said that despite Rudd's assurances, the agency has a long history of violating Americans' privacy and other constitutional rights.
The nomination of Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd to lead the NSA is seen by many as a concern, particularly given President Trump's own views on surveillance and civil liberties. The Intercept will be watching his Senate confirmation hearings closely to see how he plans to use the agency's powerful tools.
I'm getting some serious concerns about this nomination, you know? 
It's not just that Lt. Gen. Rudd is being evasive about his plans for using those massive spying powers, it's that he's basically admitting he doesn't understand how they work in the first place 
. I mean, can you imagine if someone asked you to lead a team with, say, nuclear missiles and then said "oh, um, well... we'll just figure it out as we go along"? 
Yeah, didn't think so.
. I'm worried that Rudd's lack of clarity on these issues is going to create more problems than it solves, especially when it comes to protecting Americans' civil liberties and keeping us safe from threats both foreign and domestic 
.
. Until we see more concrete answers from Rudd, I'm going to be keeping a close eye on these Senate confirmation hearings 
.
but seriously, whats up with all these vague answers? its not like hes gonna use NSA powers for good (imo) ... theres gotta be some transparency here 
... what's going on with this NSA nominee? It's like they're playing a game of espionage-themed poker, where nobody knows what's up or down until it's too late 
. I mean, Rudd claims to be clueless about the laws governing these backdoor searches, but that's just not believable 
The thought of a powerful agency like this snooping around US citizens' comms is already a major red flag 
. And with Trump at the helm... 
.
It's like, we're supposed to trust our government with all this power, but what if they get it wrong? 
I'm not saying he's a bad guy or anything, but how can we be sure he won't use these powers for... well, whatever it is they want to do with them 
. I just hope some of those Senators are paying close attention and asking the right questions during his hearings 
. I hope he gets grilled enough in Senate confirmation hearings to give us some clarity on how he plans to use those powers! 
. It's natural for someone taking on a new role to learn about the laws and procedures they'll be working with, but a lack of clarity on this issue raises red flags 
.
. I mean, I get that privacy is a big deal, but come on! We need someone who knows what they're doing here 
. And with Trump at the helm, it's not like we can expect a lot of transparency 
. As a career Army officer, I'd think he'd have some idea what's going on, but instead he's saying he doesn't know much about it 
. Meanwhile, his answers are super vague and lacking in detail 
. What's even crazier is that the previous NSA director was ousted for campaign by Laura Loomer 
. And let's be real, if he's gonna spy on Americans, then what's the point of even having a constitutional law?