Chronicle of the Phone Dragnet

  1. Howard, Malcolm BR 06-05 (5/24/06)
    • One group (al Qaeda) originally approved, a second (or more) added via amendment in August 2006)
    • Footnote 1 asserting most calls domestic to domestic (redacted thereafter)
    • Probably just 2 providers (plural custodians, but short redaction)
    • Includes compensation paragraph dropped with third order
    • Footnote 2: 2 numbers per day
    • Only 7 people authorized to sign off on RAS: Signals Intelligence Directorate Program Manager for Counterterrorism Special Projects; the Chief or Deputy Chief, Counterterrorism Advanced Analysis Division; or one of the four specially authorized Counterterrorism Advanced Analysis Shift Coordinators in the Analysis and Production Directorate of the Signals Intelligence Directorate
    • Classification mark redacted
  2. Howard, Malcolm BR 06-08 (8/18/06)
    • Begin large footnote modifying names of (now 2) organizations cleared for RAS
    • 8 authorizers (plus addition of “production” to SID Program Manager), addition 5th CT Shift Coordinator
    • Add language approving RAS for FISA targets
    • Classification based on application; declassification of President
    • 2 (4 pages and 15 pages) Orders of unknown subject (10/31/06)
  3. Scullin, Frederick, BR 06-12 (11/15/06)
    • Compensation paragraph dropped
    • Footnote 2 changed to 3 numbers a day
    • Mandate review every 90 days
    • Add at least 2 spot checks every 90 days
    • Congressional notification regarding implementation of Section 215 authority (1/25/07)
    • 43 total BR orders in 2006
  4. Broomfield, Robert, BR 07-04 (2/02/07)
    • Add exception to FISC authorization for RAS for FISA docket 06-2081
    • Internal Executive Branch email message and attached document regarding implementation of Section 215 authority (3/9/07)
  5. Gorton, Nathaniel, BR 07-10 (5/03/07)
  6. Gorton, Nathaniel, BR 07-14 (7/23/07)
    • Replace docket 06-2081 exception to FISA language w/docket 07-449 [see also]
  7. Vinson, Roger, BR 07-16 (10/18/07)
  8. Howard, Malcolm, BR 08-01 (1/4/08?)
    • Footnote 5 notes that “for analytical efficiency” “a copy of data” from phone dragnet data will be stored on same server as [EO 12333 and foreign collected] data
    • Move spot check language to FISC l
    • NSA management cancels monthly due diligence meetings (1/08)
    • DOJ IG Report on Section 215, including 2 classified sections that presumably include the dragnet (though only for 2006), as well as notice of failure to meet statute’s minimization requirement (3/08)
  9. Kollar-Kotelly, Colleen, BR 08-04 (4/3/08)
    • Approval for training new NSA analysts?
    • 31 newly trained NSA analysts query BR database using 2,373 identifiers without knowing they were doing so (4/08)
    • Internal memo addressed to NSD/OI officials including Matthew Olsen in anticipation of filing to FISC (6/6/08)
  10. Zagel, James, BR 08-07 (6/26/08)
    • NSA shifts the servers the reports are retained on (no word about the records themselves) (7/29/08)
    • Disabling of hyperlink allowing CIA, FBI, and NCTC to access BR metadata directly (Note, ETE report says this happened in “Summer 2008 timeframe”) (7/08)
    • Distribution of Data Integrity Analysts’ defeat list changes (probably expands) in some way (8/08)
    • NSA tells FISC about tool to find correlations (8/18/08)
  11. Zagel, James, BR 08-08 (9/19/08?)
    • AG Guidelines for Domestic FBI Operations (9/28/08)
    • Notice of April violations (10/17/08)
    • Start date for audit as part of E-2-E (11/1/08)
    • 27,090 identifiers allowed to be contact chained, as subsequently reported (11/2/08)
    • (12/1/08) BR 06-05 and 6 other docket orders first provided to Congressional oversight committees
    • Start date for 2 analysts doing 280 queries using non-RAS identifiers (12/10/08)
  12. Walton, Reggie, BR 08-13 (12/11/08)
    • Begin requirement of consultation w/DOJ
    • Supplemental opinion assess legality under 2702/2703 (12/12/08)
    • Notice on “alert” violation; 1,935 of 17,835 identifiers RAS approved (1/15/09)
    • End date for 2 analysts making 280 queries for non-RAS identifiers (1/23/09)
    • Notice of violation on 280 non-RAS queries (1/26/09)
    • Order for more information regarding 1/15/09 notice on “alert” violation (1/28/09)
    • Supplemental notice about failed attempt to kluge the automatic notice (2/3/09)
    • Memo providing more info on violations (2/12/09)
    • Notice of violation on query tool (2/26/09)
    • Notice of domestic identifiers being queried w/o RAS review (3/4/09)
    • 13 total BR orders in 2008
  13. Walton, Reggie, BR 09-01 (3/5/09)
    • Notice that “data integrity” analysts sharing non user emails beyond BR cleared analysts (5/8/09)
  14. Walton, Reggie, BR 09-06 (5/29/09)
    • Secondary order to provider (Verizon?) excludes foreign-to-foreign data
    • Supplemental order (both dockets) on sharing outside of NSA (5/29/09)
    • Notification of chaining on correlated numbers (6/15/09)
    • Notification of access by CIA, FBI, NCTC (6/16/09)
    • Supplemental order in both dragnets (6/22/09) [See PR/TT version]
    • End-to-End report (6/25/09)
    • Notification that NSA following USSID 18 instead of minimization procedures (6/26/09)
    • Notification of unminimized results shared with unidentified recipient (GCHQ?) (6/29/09)
    • End-to–End report shared with FISC (7/2/09)
  15. Walton, Reggie (?) BR 09-09 (7/8/09) [see also]
    • New group approved via primary order pp. 5-7
    • Order specifically mentions NSA failure to follow BR-specific minimization procedures
    • Order requires briefing on legal requirements of dragnet (10)
    • Order requires consultation with DOJ, including on automated queries (14)
    • Requires explanation why NSA disseminated out of NSA, can’t remove credit card info (16-17)
    • Order requires weekly reports
    • Approval for data integrity analysts’ use of non-user specific identifiers
    • 4 new roles approved to approve disseminations
    • Notice of ability to obtain fourth hop contact number (8/4/09)
    • Submission with E-2-E (8/19/09)
  16. Walton, Reggie, BR 09-13 (9/3/09)
    • Order regarding new dissemination violations (9/25/09)
    • Briefing materials for FISC regarding implementation of Section 215 authority (9/18/09)
  17. Walton, Reggie (?) BR 09-15 (10/30/09) [See also]
    • Supplemental opinion on historical queries and dissemination (11/05/09)
    • Briefing materials for government personnel pertaining to implementation of Section 215 authority (11/18/09)
  18. Walton, Reggie (?) BR 09-19 [see also]
  19. Walton, Reggie, BR 10-10 (2/26/10)
  20. Walton, Reggie, BR 10-17 (5/14/10)
  21. Walton, Reggie, BR 10-49 (8/04/10)
  22. Walton, Reggie, BR 10-70 (10/29/10)
  23. Bates, John, BR, 11-07 (1/20/11)
  24. Feldman, Martin, BR 11-57 (4/13/11)
  25. Bates, John, BR 11-107 (6/22/11)
  26. ~9/20/11?
  27. BR-11-191 12/11? [see also]
  28. ~1/29/12?
  29. ~4/29/12?
  30. ~7/28/12?
  31. ~10/26/12?
  32. ~1/25/13?
  33. Vinson, Roger, BR 13-80, (4/25/13)
  34. Eagan, Claire, BR 13-109, (7/18/13)
  35. McLaughlin, Mary, BR 13-158 (10/11/13)
  36. Hogan, Thomas, BR 14-01 (1/3/14)
    • Congress can access database to perform oversight
    • Supplement gives FISC review over RAS and limits to 2 hops (2/5/14)
    • Order denying motion to preserve data (3/7/14)
    • Order approving preservation of data (3/12/14)
    • Order requiring explanation for material misstatement regarding preservation orders (3/21/14)
  37. ? (3/28/14)