[cgshaw]

This is a game of semantics. They only "monitor" communications that they are "lawfully authorized" to monitor. Every government official has been playing this game for 2 months now.

The real questions are:

1. HOW MUCH DOMESTIC INTERNET TRAFFIC IS COLLECTED?

2. HOW IS THAT INFORMATION ORGANIZED?

3. HOW LONG DOES THE GOVERNMENT KEEP THE COLLECTED INFORMATION?

[logn]

The NSA are semantic sociopaths. You can never expect them to answer a question honestly because they'll redefine each term to some unexpected yet valid meaning.

[dllthomas]

... or invalid. They're not that picky.

[hga]

Don't use "collected"; as they use it "collection" only applies when captured and stored stuff is looked at.

[unclebucknasty]

Indeed. And I would add one more: WHY?