United States of Secrets

May 13 & May 20, 2014

How did the government come to spy on millions of Americans?

(114:11) How did the government come to spy on millions of Americans?
THE LATEST

Next Week: How Silicon Valley Feeds the NSA’s Global Dragnet

On May 20, FRONTLINE investigates what the tech industry said when the NSA came knocking.

How the U.S. Gov’t Turned Silicon Valley Into a Surveillance Partner

Ten years later, Nick Merrill still can’t discuss the details of the data request that came hand delivered to him from the FBI.

Live Chat: How Did the Government Come to Spy on Millions of Americans?

FRONTLINE’s Mike Wiser, Spencer Ackerman of The Guardian and NSA whistleblower Kirk Wiebe will answer this question — and take yours. Join us Wed. 5/20 at 2 pm EST.

What Does It Mean When the NSA Has Your Number?

A study of what the NSA may be able to learn by analyzing telephone metadata may confirm the worst fears of privacy advocates.

Obama on Mass Government Surveillance, Then and Now

Barack Obama campaigned for the White House promising “no more secrecy,” but as president he has embraced the same domestic surveillance programs he derided as a candidate.

NSA Reform: A Guide to the Options

Lawmakers in Congress are jousting over how to reform the NSA’s domestic surveillance activities. Will changes go far enough?

Readings & Links: NSA Secrets

A guide to the major leaks about the NSA’s domestic surveillance program.

How Edward Snowden Leaked “Thousands” of NSA Documents

“I’ve got some stuff you might be interested in.” With that simple message, the biggest leak of government secrets in history was set in motion.

Inside the NSA the Day After 9/11

Spying on the home front was the one rule that NSA analysts were constantly warned against before 9/11, but that all changed the morning after the attacks.

Press Release | “United States of Secrets”: How the Government Came to Spy on Millions of Americans

In “United States of Secrets,” a two-part series airing May 13 & 20, FRONTLINE reveals the dramatic inside story of how the U.S. government came to monitor and collect the communications of millions of people around the world—and the lengths they went to trying to hide the massive surveillance program from the public.

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