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U.S. releases some documents on phone surveillance programs

WASHINGTON, July 31 | Wed Jul 31, 2013 9:36am EDT

WASHINGTON, July 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. Director of National Intelligence released three declassified documents on Wednesday that authorized the bulk collection of telephone data, one of the surveillance programs revealed by former security contractor Edward Snowden.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a statement the declassification was made in the "interest of increased transparency."

The documents that were declassified include the 2009 and 2011 reports on the National Security Agency's "Bulk Collection Program" under the USA PATRIOT Act. In addition it released an April, 2013 order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court which described how the data should be stored and accessed.

(Reporting by Deborah Charles)

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