The NSA is shutting down its phone surveillance program

With government authorization, the NSA has been able to collect data on virtually every phone call made by United States citizens for years, but following the Senate’s failure to extend this authorization, the NSA has started the process of shutting down the controversial program. Because the Senate wasn’t able to agree on a way to temporarily extend the NSA’s authorization, the agency no longer has the legal protection it needs to continue collecting telephone records in bulk and has to shutter the program, at least for the time being.