Defeating ISIS on the Digital Battlefield

Many US experts on terror have warned that we need digital sources of intelligence to defeat ISIS.  However, allowing the US government to collect intelligence from our phone calls and texts, emails and internet browsing requires that we trust the government not to misuse the information.

The way to build trust is to explain both what you are doing and what you are not.  For example, you are collecting who email is sent to and who it came from, but you are not looking at the message.  It's the same with phone calls.  You are looking at the number dialed, and the number of the phone that originated the call, but not listening to what was said.  You will then use the information of who called who as a basis to get a warrant before you look at the message or listen to the calls.  It's simple to explain that way and everybody would get it.  

The problem of trust in our government is also that the Feds ain't trustworthy, they're scofflaws. The federal government has a very recent history of misusing information for political purposes.  Lois Lerner used the IRS to attack the Tea Party without any cloak of secrecy.   The IRS used an excuse that was equivalent to saying subpoenas caused disk crashes, obstructing justice with impunity.  Lois Lerner retired with full benefits and no indictment. How much worse can the government do if it's cloaked as a secret national security issue.  There's a legitimate fear based just on the behavior we can see.  Ending federal lawbreaking with impunity will build trust. 

Unfortunately, the Clinton email scandal is creating more distrust.  After presenting a very strong case against Hillary Clinton, FBI Director James Comey went on to say no prosecutor would indict Mrs. Clinton.  They certainly indicted General David Petraeus for a lot less.  Stunts, like Clinton breaking the law with impunity, have national security consequences.  By lowering the trust people have in government, they make it harder for the federal government to collect the digital intelligence needed to stop Islamic terrorist attacks.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/defeating-isis-on-the-digital-battlefield-1466635130