MUSCULAR

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MUSCULAR is a formerly secret joint NSA–GCHQ surveillance program that tapped into private data links between major tech companies’ data centers to collect large volumes of user information.

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Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf signals intelligence operation
surveillance program
abbreviation DS-200B
alsoKnownAs DS-200B NERFINISHED
associatedAgency Central Security Service NERFINISHED
UK Ministry of Defence NERFINISHED
classification formerly secret
codename MUSCULAR NERFINISHED
collectionPoint international data links
links between data centers outside the United States
collects content data
metadata
user information
controversy warrantless collection of data from private networks
country United Kingdom
United States of America
surface form: United States
dataProcessingLocation GCHQ facilities
NSA data centers
disclosedBy The Washington Post NERFINISHED
disclosedIn 2013
field signals intelligence
impact privacy concerns for users of major tech companies
tension between tech companies and intelligence agencies
jurisdictionFocus foreign communications
leakedBy Edward Snowden NERFINISHED
ledTo increased encryption of data center links by tech companies
legalBasis Executive Order 12333 NERFINISHED
method tapping private data links between data centers
operator Government Communications Headquarters NERFINISHED
National Security Agency NERFINISHED
oversight limited judicial oversight
purpose mass data collection
signals intelligence collection
relatedTo PRISM NERFINISHED
Upstream collection programs
responseFrom Google NERFINISHED
Yahoo NERFINISHED
scale large volumes of data
status exposed
subjectOf debates on government surveillance and privacy
news reports on mass surveillance
target Google data center links
Yahoo data center links
private data links between major tech companies’ data centers
technologyUsed fiber-optic cable interception
typeOfAccess upstream collection

Referenced by (1)

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