U.S. won't halt NSA phone spying program ahead of ban

[Yahoo! News]

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By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Thursday refused to immediately halt the government's systematic collection of millions of Americans' phone records during a "transition" period to a new federal scheme that bans the controversial anti-terrorism surveillance. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said it would not disturb Congress' decision, in adopting the USA Freedom Act in June, to provide a 180-day transition period to allow an orderly end to the National Security Agency program. In May, the appeals court had said the sweeping surveillance first disclosed in 2013 by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden was illegal, and was not authorized by the USA Patriot Act, because it violated Americans' privacy rights.

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