N.S.A. Disclosure of U.S. Identities in Surveillance Reports Nearly Tripled in 2023 (Published 2024)

What they're not telling you: NSA Nearly Tripled Disclosure of Americans' Identities in Intelligence Reports During 2023 The National Security Agency disclosed the names and identifying details of U.S. citizens in its classified intelligence reports nearly three times more frequently in 2023 than in 2022, according to documents reviewed by The New York Times—a spike that reveals the agency's incinerating legal thresholds for exposing Americans caught in foreign surveillance operations. The NSA reported 204 instances of identity disclosure to the agency's internal compliance office during 2023, compared to 73 instances the prior year, according to the classified compliance data obtained by the Times.

What the Documents Show

These disclosures occurred when NSA analysts included Americans' names, email addresses, phone numbers, or other identifying information in intelligence reports intended for broader distribution across the intelligence community—a practice that requires separate legal justification under Executive Order 12333 and internal NSA regulations. The agency's own rules require analysts to "minimize" the collection and retention of information about U.S. persons absent specific operational necessity. The acceleration happened without corresponding public acknowledgment from NSA leadership or congressional intelligence committees. The agency's Office of Compliance and Risk Management documented the surge in its internal records, which measure incidents where signals intelligence collection intentionally or inadvertently captures American communications or identifying data.

Follow the Money

What distinguishes these 204 cases is that NSA analysts made affirmative decisions to include the Americans' identities in disseminated intelligence products—meaning the disclosures were not incidental byproducts of foreign surveillance but deliberate entries into the formal intelligence workflow. The Times did not identify the specific individuals, programs, or justifications cited for individual disclosures, citing classification restrictions. However, the compliance data suggests the NSA is operating under an increasingly permissive interpretation of which disclosures require formal minimization procedures. Under current regulations, the agency must demonstrate that including an American's identity serves an "important foreign intelligence purpose" that cannot be achieved through redaction or reference to the target by identifier code. The 179 percent increase occurred during a period of heightened surveillance operations targeting foreign adversaries, particularly in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. NSA officials told the Times the increase reflected improved reporting procedures and greater precision in identifying potential national security threats, rather than degraded compliance standards.

What Else We Know

The agency stated it monitors disclosure patterns annually and adjusts internal training accordingly. Congressional intelligence committees received annual briefings on NSA compliance metrics, though the specific disclosure numbers do not typically appear in unclassified summaries provided to oversight bodies. This compliance trend inverts the public narrative around NSA reform. Since the Edward Snowden disclosures in 2013, the agency has repeatedly emphasized the strengthening of legal procedures protecting Americans against incidental surveillance. Director Paul Nakasone has pointed to expanded training protocols and compliance mechanisms as evidence of institutional discipline. What the internal metrics show is a drift in the opposite direction: the agency's operational demands for including Americans' identifying information in classified intelligence products are outpacing its administrative capacity or willingness to restrict those disclosures.

Primary Sources

• Source: Google News (Surveillance State)
• Category: Surveillance State
• Cross-reference independently — don't take our word for it.

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