The National Security Agency (NSA) revealed three court opinions it had originally held secret on Wednesday, showing that at least 56,000 emails, phone calls, and other forms of communications taken by Americans not related to terrorism, has been scanned and looked over a course of three years. The court had the problem revealed and promptly set to be fixed.

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James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, authorized the release.

From Associated Press: 

“The opinions show that when the NSA reported its inadvertent gathering of American-based Internet traffic to the court in 2011, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court ordered the agency to find ways to limit what it collects and how long it keeps it.

Three senior U.S. intelligence officials said Wednesday that national security officials realized the extent of its inadvertent collection of Americans' data from fiber optic cables in September 2011. One of the officials said the problem became apparent during internal discussions between NSA and Justice Department officials about the program's technical operation.”

 The problem was reported that targeting metadata from foreign user’s e-mails and amassed thousands of unrelated emails bundled with target material. Because of the massive source of data, it was allegedly impossible to only stick to targeted material without skimming through data from unintended domestic U.S. users.

The content was provided in classified briefings to both Senate and House intelligence in order to clear up the issue, which was attempted to be resolved after the 2011 rulings.

The NSA is allowed to hold on to the metadata, including the address and phone number (but not the content) of communications, for up to five years,  but the court ruled that large packets of gathered information violated the Constitution’s ban against unauthorized search and seizure.

 

Read more on the NSA here.

Reach Executive Producer Eric Parra here.