NSA PRISM Program Forces Tech Companies to Provide Direct Server Access

Edward Snowden revealed the NSA’s PRISM program gave the government direct access to servers of Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, Apple, and other tech giants, collecting emails, photos, videos, and communications of millions of Americans. Companies initially resisted but capitulated under threat of $250,000 daily fines that would double weekly, potentially reaching trillions. The program operated under Section 702 of FISA, supposedly targeting foreigners but collecting vast amounts of American data ‘incidentally.’ Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lied to Congress in March 2013, denying NSA collected ‘any type of data at all on millions of Americans,’ then called it his ’least untruthful’ answer when exposed. The program collected data on 250 million internet communications annually. Federal judges later ruled bulk collection violated the Fourth Amendment. Tech companies built special portals for NSA access while publicly denying participation, fundamentally compromising digital privacy.