Recent unit 8200 deserters scandal in case it wasn't posted here yet
This is seriously fucked up. Using semi-legally collected information for anti-terror activities is borderline. Using it for political persecutions is down right totalitarian. I'm not so surprised this is happening in Israel, but I am a bit surprised that the US is feeding them unfiltered data. I legitimately thought that the US was tight lipped with intelligence even with our closest allies. I have to assume that political persecutions are a threat to the US as well. Not sure if you're aware of our history, but the FBI used to do this all the time, but the practice (at least nominally) went out of favor in recent decades. I'm sad for the government, and I'm sad that you and I having this information will change nothing. The NSA is so insulated that while they would certainly like to keep their programs secret, it doesn't make a bit a difference to them operationally whether we know what they're doing or not.
Keep in mind - the NSA also gives unfettered access to the DEA. With weed being legal in two states, quasi-legal in a dozen and illegal in the rest, that's "political persecutions" right down the line. By the bye, James Bamford is the dude when it comes to the NSA.
He's "testified before the Church Committee" grade badass. He's "threatened by the NSA not to publish" badass. He's "Reagan wrote an executive order in an attempt to keep his debut book from being published" badass. James Bamford is da man.