Liberty and Security in a Changing World: and President Obama's Speeches on NSA Reforms

"As the nation that developed the Internet, the world expects us to ensure that the digital revolution works as a tool for individual empowerment, not government control." --President Barack Obama, Speech on NSA Reforms, January 17, 2014

After Edward Snowden revealed how the National Security Agency gathered personal data and spied on US allies, President Obama in 2013 commissioned the REVIEW GROUP ON INTELLIGENCE AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES to address this controversy.

The Review Group produced a comprehensive report, Liberty and Security in a Changing World, which lists forty-six recommendations in order to rebuild trust regarding intelligence gathering. The report's objectives are to protect national security and strengthen foreign policy while respecting privacy and civil liberties.

Among the recommendations are:

- Limit Bulk Collection of Telephony Meta-Data;
- Enhance the Privacy of Non-US Persons;
- US Support for Encryption Standards;
- US Support for International Norms Enhancing the Security of Online Communications.

Although many recommendations of this report were well-received, a strong dissenting voice came from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, expressing its disappointment that this report seemed to support continued mass surveillance.
In this publication, you will also find two speeches by President Obama from December 20, 2013, and January 16, 2014, on the NSA reforms. Lastly, the Presidential Policy Directive PPD-28 of 2015, which implements those changes, is included in this publication.

THE REVIEW GROUP ON INTELLIGENCE AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES was a diverse five-member panel with representatives from intelligence, counterterrorism, oversight, privacy, and civil liberties, including Richard A. Clarke, the former National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-terrorism for the US and Michael J. Morrell, former acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Students of intelligence, politicians, journalists, and anyone interested in the impact of data collection for US foreign policy and privacy issues will find this vital background reading.