Federal court ruling against NSA phone surveillance isn’t quite what it seems

A federal district court judge in Washington DC issued a preliminary injunction today in a case regarding the NSA’s practice of collecting phone call metadata. In doing so, Judge Richard Leon essentially prohibited the NSA from recording the metadata of the folks who filed the lawsuit, holding that the NSA’s actions likely violate the fourth amendment of the US Constitution.

A federal judge ruled Monday that the National Security Agency’s collection of phone records “almost certainly” violates the Constitution, setting up a larger legal battle over long-secret counterterrorism programs.