The FBI illegally collected more than 2,000 U.S. telephone call records between 2002 and 2006 by invoking terrorism emergencies that did not exist or simply persuading phone companies to provide records, according to internal bureau memos and interviews. FBI officials issued approvals after the fact to justify their actions.
The Washington Post has an investigative piece with all the disturbing details.
“Just trust us,” the government keeps saying. “It’s all for your protection. We will never abuse our power.” Uh, sure.