We Know NSA is doing MASSIVE collection of phone DATA. THere are claims back and forth as to exactly what about who and what they need to record actual calls or if they are even recording any actual calls/texts/e-mails, etc. Does anyone really believe what they are limiting themselves in the way they say they are?
Well, are any of us totally convinced they aren't recording phone calls from every gun shop in the US? Every NICS check is read over the phone. Compared to some of the other things that they have supposedly monitored I think recording every call from every gun shop would be small beans. With things like gunwalker, fast and furious, etc, would there be some supposedly "legitimate" and "legal" reasons to do so?
If they were, would those records come anywhere close to the current restriction on document destruction? Would anyone at NSA have even considered it? If they considered it and thought they should do it, would they take the time? Risk the waves? The records would likely be kept as much due to negligence/laziness as malice(yes, I consider intentionally subverting a god given right malicious). THe government does these things as much out of ineffectiveness as intent to subvert rights. Remember when one ATFE office started requesting copies of ffl records by mail so they could perform audits without sending agents to the FFLs physical location? It wasn't with the intent to subvert rights, just a mix of ineptitude, laziness, and lack of foresight.
With voice recognition to text software could someone possibly convert that recorded audio to a database? More easily than seizing all the FFL records and digitizing them at least.
I'm not saying it is happening, or even that I am especially worried about the possibility for me personally. Just that it would not surprise me if all I have outlined above is happening. It mostly doesn't bother me because I have a C&R license, am on and off involved in 2A rights groups, and other things that probably already put me towards the top of the list. How could we possibly prove it was happening? How could they convince me it wasn't?
I was unaware an FFL could destroy records after 20 years. I thought they had to be kept for the duration of the license then submitted to ATFE at closing.