I will admit to being rather skeptical of the panel that Obama appointed to review the activities of the NSA in the wake of the Snowden revelations. It's membership seemed to be limited to comfortable insiders. Now the report is out and it is a bit more complex than I would have expected.
Strip NSA of power to collect phone data records, Obama review panel says
The National Security Agency should be banned from attempting to undermine the security of the internet and stripped of its power to collect telephone records in bulk, a White House review panel recommended on Wednesday.
In a 300-page report prepared for President Obama, the panel made 46 recommendations, including that the authority for spying on foreign leaders should be granted at a higher level than at present.
Though far less sweeping than campaigners have urged, and yet to be ratified by Obama, the report by his Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technology comes as the White House faces growing pressure over its so-called “bulk collection” programs from US courts and business interests.
The other recommendations seem to be relatively technical in nature. The headline item is the bulk data collection. Obama has not made any statements as to whether or not he will implement any of the recommendations,