Polls & Research

Americans Support NSA Data Collection

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in the United States have no problem with the way their federal government is conducting its electronic surveillance activities, according to a poll by Opinion Dynamics released by Fox News. 52 per cent of respondents support data collection on domestic phone calls and looking at calling patterns of Americans without listening in on or recording the calls.

Last December, U.S. president George W. Bush defended a secret domestic electronic surveillance program that includes the wiretapping of the telephone calls and e-mails of Americans suspected of having terrorist ties. The president's remarks came in response to media reports that, since 2002, Bush has authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to operate this program without any judicial oversight.

On May 11, USA Today reported that the NSA program includes a database with tens of millions of phone call records. Bush defended the activities, saying, "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans. Our efforts are focused on links to al-Qaeda and their known affiliates. So far we've been very successful in preventing another attack on our soil." 54 per cent of respondents would be willing to give up some of their personal freedom in order to reduce the threat of terrorism.

On May 8, Bush confirmed the nomination of Air Force general Michael Hayden as the new director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Hayden has defended the NSA program, saying, "We always balance privacy with security, and we always do so within the law."

Polling Data

As part of a larger program to detect possible terrorist activity, do you support or oppose the National Security Agency collecting data on domestic phone calls and looking at calling patterns of Americans without listening in on or recording the calls?

Would you be willing to give up some of your personal freedom in order to reduce the threat of terrorism?