NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls

Poll:51% Of Americans Oppose NSA Phone Database-Report

About 51% of Americans disapprove of a Pentagon database of phone calls made by ordinary citizens, a USA Today/Gallup poll showed, the newspaper reported Monday.

Also, about two-thirds said they are concerned that the program may signal the existence of other, not-yet-disclosed efforts to gather information on the general public, USA Today reported.

The survey, of 809 adults Friday and Saturday, shows that by 51%-43%, those polled disapprove of the program, disclosed Thursday in the newspaper. The National Security Agency has been collecting phone records from three of the nation's largest telecommunication companies since soon after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Most of those who approve of the program say it violates some civil liberties but is acceptable because "investigating terrorism is the more important goal," the newspaper reported.


About two-thirds say they're concerned that the federal government might be gathering other information about the public, such as bank records and data on Internet use, or listening in on domestic phone conversations without obtaining a warrant, the poll showed, the newspaper reported.

The findings differ from an ABC News/Washington Post poll taken Thursday night of 502 adults. In that survey, 63% called the program an acceptable way to investigate terrorism. The findings may differ because questions in the two polls were worded differently, USA Today reported.

The USA Today/Gallup poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, compared with plus or minus 5 points in the ABC/Washington Post poll - and was taken after people had a day or two to hear and think about the program.