ACLU: In November 2001, the National Security Agency began illegally intercepting Americans’ phone calls and emails without warrants or suspicion of wrongdoing. In 2008, Congress amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), rubber-stamping this warrantless wiretapping program and giving the NSA power to conduct dragnet surveillance of Americans’ international communications.

SOURCES
1. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/05/23/110523fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all
2. http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america/articles/a-hidden-world-growing-beyond-control/print/
3. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/05/23/110523fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all
4. http://www.nsa.gov/public_info/press_room/2011/utah_groundbreaking_ceremony.shtml
5. Body of Secrets (2002), James Bamford. Page 482
6. http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/lichtblau_pizza_hut_leads.php
7. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/us/16nsa.html?pagewanted=all
8. http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/fbi-if-we-told-you-you-might-sue-1