PRISM Surveillance Program
The NSA's program that obtained direct access to the servers of major American technology companies to collect foreign intelligence targets' communications.
INVESTIGATION OVERVIEW
PRISM is a clandestine mass surveillance program operated by the NSA that collects internet communications from nine major U.S. technology companies: Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube, and Apple. First revealed by Edward Snowden in 2013, PRISM allows the NSA to directly access company servers to collect stored communications and data in real time. The program operates under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act, which was reauthorized most recently in 2018. The companies named have disputed the scope and nature of their cooperation while acknowledging compliance with lawful government data requests.
KEY CLAIMS
The NSA has direct, unmediated access to tech company servers
PRISM collects content, not just metadata
The program's legal basis (FISA 702) is unconstitutionally broad
American citizens' data is incidentally collected without warrants
Tech companies have misled the public about their cooperation with PRISM
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE
Snowden's classified slide deck details PRISM's architecture and capabilities
The Washington Post and The Guardian published the PRISM slides in 2013
Congressional testimony confirmed the program's existence and scale
Declassified FISA court opinions show privacy violations occurred
Technology companies' transparency reports reveal thousands of data requests
COUNTER ARGUMENTS
PRISM requires individualized targeting orders from the FISA court
Tech companies only provide data in response to specific lawful requests
The program is focused on foreign intelligence targets outside the U.S.
Section 702 has been reauthorized by Congress multiple times with oversight
The 'direct server access' claim has been disputed by some companies
TIMELINE
PRISM program established under the Protect America Act
FISA Amendments Act codifies Section 702
Snowden leaks reveal PRISM to the public
President's Review Group recommends reforms
Section 702 reauthorized by Congress
KEY FIGURES
Edward Snowden
NSA contractor who leaked PRISM documents
Barack Obama
President during the program's public exposure
ORGANIZATIONS
NSA
Intelligence
Justice Department
Government
FISA Court
Judicial
Multiple Technology Companies
Private
SOURCES
RELATED ENTITIES
PEOPLE
Edward Snowden
Barack Obama
ORGANIZATIONS
NSA
Justice Department
FISA Court
Multiple Technology Companies
TECHNOLOGIES
Prism
Surveillance
EVENTS
PRISM program established under the Protect America Act
2007
FISA Amendments Act codifies Section 702
2008
Snowden leaks reveal PRISM to the public
2013-06
President's Review Group recommends reforms
2013-12
Section 702 reauthorized by Congress
2018