Thread by @normative

So, big news that the 215 metadata program is kaput, but the important question is: and replaced with what? Traditional targeted orders, or some other mechanism, a-la Hemisphere?

I’d like to think they just finally admitted that it wasn’t generating much value & returned to getting metadata on individually suspicious numbers. But there are other mechanisms for less comprehensive bulk collection.

There is, for instance, an ECPA loophole for voluntary (i.e. no legal process) production of *international* telephony metadata. Maybe they decided it was faster to use that for bulk international plus NSLs for domestic & cut out the hassle of dealing with FISC.