Snowden says he knew the surveillance would not withstand legal review . He also said that if it had been done by a foreign government, then " we have to be very careful about what kind of information is collected and how it's used." The Patriot Act that Congress passed after the 9/11 attacks broadened the government 's ability to conduct anti-terrorism surveillance in the United States and abroad , eventually including the metadata collection . The NSA data-mining can continue , pending a likely appeal . Classified leaks by Edward Snowden revealed the extent of the data-mining .
Snowden says he knew the surveillance would not withstand legal review . He also said that if it had been done by a foreign government, then " we have to be very careful about what kind of information is collected and how it's used." The NSA data-mining can continue , pending a likely appeal . Classified leaks by Edward Snowden revealed the extent of the data-mining .