AP
Ahead of a Senate hearing Wednesday morning on National Security Agency oversight, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released the orders on the bulk collection program under Section 215 of the Patriot Act. DNI James Clapper said they were released because they were in the public interest.
This order was the subject of The Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald's first report off leaks from former
The phone records collected include basic information — or "metadata" — on the calls of millions of Americans, which includes things like phone numbers called and the time and length of calls. The Obama administration and some members of Congress have defended the practice as vital for national security.
Large chunks of the order still remain unclassified, blacked out with bars. Before today, the order was expected to be declassified in April 2038.
Here's the full document: