NSAT&T

Frequently Asked Questions

NSAT&T - National Surveillance Agency: Telephones & Terrorism
What is the purpose of this Web site?
This Web site is part of an initiative to increase government accountability and transparency, and to raise public awareness of privacy and security issues.
Is the data on this Web site real?
Yes, it is completely real. Absolutely none of it is imaginary.
Is the data accurate?
The data ("the Data") is provided "as is" without any warranty whatsoever, whether express or implied, and no claims are made regarding its accuracy. Inclusion of persons in the Data does not imply or allege their participation in terrorist activities; absence of persons in the Data does not imply their innocence of participation in terrorist activities. The Data is intended to be used for reference purposes only, and should not be relied upon as the sole determining factor of an individual's participation or non-participation in terrorist activities. All persons are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
Where did you get the data?
The data is gathered from various government and non-government sources.
Is it illegal or an invasion of privacy to display personal information like that?
No. All information displayed is publicly available. Information that could be used to positively identify individuals (including but not limited to social security numbers) has been wholly or partially redacted to ensure privacy.
Are all the people in your database really terrorists?
No. As stated at the bottom of every screen that contains individual data, all persons are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
How can I remove my name from your database?
Please contact the government agency or other organization which maintains the original database source from which we received your records and ask them to remove your name from their database. Doing so should be as easy as correcting inaccuracies in your credit report, for example. When we receive the updated database it will be reflected on our web site.
A long time ago I contacted one of the agencies that had my name and other personal information in their database but it still hasn't been removed. What can I do?
Sorry, we are not responsible for the actions (or lack thereof) taken by outside agencies and organizations.
I know somebody who is or might be a terrorist. How can I report them?
You can use our convenient form to report somebody you suspect of terrorist activities.
How about communists? Should I report them?
No. NSAT&T stopped tracking communists in 1990 as they ceased to be a threat. In 2001, terrorists officially replaced communists as the predominant threat tracked by NSAT&T.
I know somebody who has had phone or email contact with countries in the Middle East, yet they are not in your database. Why not?
While our database is large, it does not yet contain information about every person who has had contact with countries in the Middle East. You can assist us by reporting the person you suspect of having contact with countries in the Middle East.
How are you ensuring that innocent people in your database are not mistakenly accused of terrorism?
To ensure our database remains safe and secure we use proven industry methods that meet or exceed government and industry standards. These same methods are employed by banks, credit agencies, and manufacturers of electronic voting machines to protect against identity theft, data loss, fraud and manipulation. Our confidence is backed by their solid, proven track record.
How can I independently validate the authenticity, accuracy and efficacy of your database, security, and data gathering methods?
The independent auditor hired by NSAT&T has tested our security and data gathering methodologies and has concluded that we are in 100% compliance with all industry laws and regulations.
Who is the auditor and how can I see their reports?
Sorry, that information is not available as it could be used by terrorists to compromise our security methods.
What is NSAT&T?
Learn more about NSAT&T: who we are and what we do.
Can I trust NSAT&T? Are you a secret government agency?
You can trust us. We are not a government agency.