@JPB,
JPB wrote:The problem is this program doesn't do anything to prevent it,
Analyzing patterns of phone calls can potentially uncover terrorist cells by revealing networks of terrorists calling each other.
This ability was damaged by having Snowden reveal to the terrorists exactly what we are doing, but the blame for that should fall on Snowden, not on the program that he damaged.
Such analysis can be useful even when it isn't uncovering a previously-unknown terrorist cell. For instance, it can confirm to investigators that they are on the right track about something they already know about, or let them know they are on the wrong track and are wasting their time on a certain subject.
Also, this legislative delay is damaging more than just the phone metadata program. The ability to get roving wiretaps to track known terrorists who frequently switch cell phones has been suspended, as has the program to monitor likely "lone wolf" attackers who have no connection to an actual terrorist organization.
JPB wrote:and the costs, both financial and to our loss of privacy, are substantial.
There was no loss to our privacy. The government only conducted searches of the phone metadata after getting a warrant from a judge.