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10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Agency That's Spying On You

Brian Jones

2013-06-06T16:17:00Z

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The National Security Agency collects the cellular telephone data for millions of unsuspecting Americans every day, according to a Top Secret court order obtained by the Guardian.

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Verizon is required to provide the secret intelligence agency with all call detail records “ on an ongoing daily basis” until the order expires July 19.

But what exactly is this agency? Who leads it? And what is their mission?

It’s your turn to learn.

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Their headquarters is in a sprawling complex in Fort Meade, Maryland, just outside of Washington.

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The NSA was founded in 1952. Until 1977, they operated from Arlington Hall, a former girls school in Arlington, Virginia.

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The actual current size of the NSA is classified. It's square footage is roughly the same size as the Pentagon, and it has 112 acres of parking spaces.

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The mission of the NSA is to acquire and analyze information in an effort to identify threats to U.S. interests, and to protect America's information.

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Four-Star Army Gen. Keith Alexander heads the NSA. His actual title is Commander, U.S. Cyber Command; Director, National Security Agency; and Chief, Central Security Service.

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The operations inside the walls of the NSA are so secret, it's jokingly referred to as "No Such Agency" or "Never Say Anything."

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But when President Obama receives his daily intelligence briefing, it's estimated that as much as 75% of the information comes from the NSA.

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Every day, the NSA intercepts and stores billions of emails, phone calls, and other forms of communication.

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Last month, it was revealed that NSA hackers harvest 2.1 million gigabytes of data per hour.

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U.S. service members have given their lives in secret missions associated with the NSA. This memorial at the agency's headquarters honors those who "served in silence."

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Now see how the NSA fits into the complex American intelligence system

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These 17 Agencies Make Up The Most Sophisticated Spy Network In The World >

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