Clapper Tells Senate NSA Does Not Collect Millions of Americans' Data

James Clapper (DNI) Lies to the Senate About the NSA — StopProgressivism

StopProgressivism

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper denies intentional domestic bulk surveillance to lawmakers, asserting the NSA only gathers data on American citizens inadvertently.

AI-assisted summary of James Clapper (DNI) Lies to the Senate About the NSA — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published:

Key ideas

  • During a Senate hearing, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is pressed for a definitive yes-or-no answer regarding NSA domestic data collection. (0:00)
  • The inquiry specifically asks whether the NSA collects any category of data on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans. (0:00)
  • Clapper issues an outright denial, responding 'No sir' and insisting the agency does not collect such data. (0:00)
  • Clapper qualifies his denial by adding 'Not wittingly,' conceding only the possibility of inadvertent collection. (0:00)

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube by the channel StopProgressivism on June 15, 2013, this clip captures Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testifying before the Senate. According to the video description, the footage documents Clapper lying directly to lawmakers regarding whether the NSA conducts surveillance on American citizens.

## TL;DR In a Senate hearing, a senator directly asks Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to provide a yes-or-no answer on whether the NSA collects any data on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans. Clapper unequivocally responds, 'No sir,' and 'It does not.' He then adds a caveat, clarifying that the agency does not collect domestic data 'wittingly,' though inadvertent collection can occasionally occur. The brief exchange ends with the questioning senator curtly acknowledging the director's denial.

## Atmosphere & style The exchange carries the tense, clinical gravity typical of high-stakes congressional testimony. The senator sets a firm, demanding tone seeking an unambiguous response, met by Clapper's measured yet visibly strained attempt to qualify his categorical denial. The brief interaction feels stark and evasive, leaving an undercurrent of skepticism despite the official decorum of the hearing room.

## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) During a Senate hearing, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper is pressed for a definitive yes-or-no answer regarding NSA domestic data collection. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) The inquiry specifically asks whether the NSA collects any category of data on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) Clapper issues an outright denial, responding 'No sir' and insisting the agency does not collect such data. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) Clapper qualifies his denial by adding 'Not wittingly,' conceding only the possibility of inadvertent collection.

## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) A Senate hearing directly challenges the Director of National Intelligence regarding the scope of National Security Agency surveillance. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) The questioning senator explicitly requests an unambiguous yes-or-no answer to eliminate potential evasion. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) The core question investigates whether the NSA collects any form of data on American citizens in bulk. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) The scale specified in the inquiry covers millions or hundreds of millions of Americans. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) Director Clapper initially responds with a firm and categorical 'No sir.' - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) Clapper reinforces his initial denial with the direct statement, 'It does not.' - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) Clapper promptly introduces a qualification to his denial by adding the phrase 'Not wittingly.' - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) The DNI acknowledges operational scenarios where the NSA could inadvertently capture domestic data. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) Clapper firmly rules out intentional domestic bulk collection by repeating that it does not happen wittingly. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) The senator acknowledges the Director's qualified denial before concluding the exchange.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) Exchange Between the Senate and Director Clapper on NSA Surveillance

During a Senate hearing, a senator presses Director of National Intelligence James Clapper for an unambiguous, direct response regarding the domestic surveillance activities of the National Security Agency. Setting up the inquiry to avoid evasion, the senator asks: “So what I wanted to see is if you could give me a yes or no answer to the question does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?”

Clapper responds firmly in the negative, stating, “No sir.” He immediately reinforces his denial, explaining, “It does not.” When refining his statement, Clapper qualifies the response by adding, “Not wittingly.” He further clarifies the agency's operational realities by stating, “There are cases where they could in inadvertently perhaps collect but not not wittingly,” to which the senator acknowledges the response with a brief, “All right.”

- **The Question:** Whether the NSA collects any category of data whatsoever on millions or hundreds of millions of American citizens. - **DNI Clapper's Answer:** A categorical denial of intentional domestic bulk collection, asserting that any such collection occurs only inadvertently rather than wittingly.

## Mentioned James Clapper, National Security Agency, United States Senate

## Video description James Clapper (the Director of National Intelligence) flat out lies to the Senate when asked whether or not the NSA is spying on American citizens.

#liar #traitor #stopthensa

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0)

中文简报

克拉珀向参议院否认NSA收集数百万美国人数据 国家情报总监詹姆斯·克拉珀向议员否认存在针对国内的蓄意大规模监控，坚称NSA仅在无意中收集美国公民的数据。 在一次参议院听证会上，一名参议员直接要求国家情报总监詹姆斯·克拉珀就NSA是否收集数百万或数亿美国人的任何数据给出明确的肯定或否定回答。克拉珀明确回答称：“不，先生”以及“并没有”。随后他做出补充说明，澄清该机构并非“蓄意”收集国内数据，不过偶尔可能会发生无意收集的情况。质询议员简短接受了局长/总监的否认，这段简短交锋随之结束。 在参议院听证会上，国家情报总监詹姆斯·克拉珀被要求就NSA在国内收集数据一事给出明确的肯定或否定回答。 (0:00) 质询特别询问了NSA是否收集涉及数百万或数亿美国人的任何类别数据。 (0:00) 克拉珀断然予以否认，回答“不，先生”，并坚称该机构没有收集此类数据。 (0:00) 克拉珀在否认中补充说明称“并非蓄意”，仅承认可能存在无意收集的情况。 (0:00)

Reading summary

During a Senate hearing, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper denied that the National Security Agency intentionally gathers bulk surveillance data on millions of American citizens. Senate Inquiry into Bulk Domestic Collection (0:00) A senator pressed Director of National Intelligence James Clapper for an explicit, direct answer regarding the scope of National Security Agency surveillance programs. Seeking to eliminate evasion, the senator specifically asked whether the NSA gathers any category of data whatsoever on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans. Clapper's Denial of Witting Collection (0:00) Clapper responded with a direct denial, answering, "No sir" and "It does not." When further refining his testimony, he qualified that the agency does not collect such data "wittingly," explaining that any gathering of American data occurs inadvertently rather than through intentional domestic bulk collection. While Clapper firmly denied intentional domestic collection during the exchange, the provided record does not document subsequent evidence, legal interpretations, or post-hearing developments regarding the accuracy of his testimony.

精炼阅读摘要

本内容记录了在参议院听证会上，国家情报总监詹姆斯·克拉珀（James Clapper）就美国国家安全局（NSA）是否对数亿美国人进行大规模数据收集一事，向参议院作出的明确否认。 参议员就大规模国内监控提出明确质询 (0:00) 在参议院听证会期间，一名参议员为了避免回避性质的回答，要求国家情报总监詹姆斯·克拉珀给出明确的“是”或“否”答复。质询的核心聚焦于国安局是否收集了涉及数百万乃至数亿美国人的任何类型的数据，旨在彻底厘清该情报机构国内监控活动的实际边界。 克拉珀坚决否认存在蓄意的大规模收集 (0:00) 面对质询，克拉珀明确予以否定，回答称“没有，先生”并补充“确实没有”。随后他进一步界定了该说法的范围，强调国安局“绝非故意为之”（Not wittingly）；他解释称，在实际行动中可能存在极少数无意中（inadvertently）收集到信息的情况，但绝不存在针对美国公众的蓄意收集。提问的参议员随后对该答复表示了知悉。 该记录呈现了克拉珀在国会听证中对国安局收集国内数亿民众数据指控的正式否认，但记录本身并未展示任何后续的反驳证据或听证会其他议程，仅完整保留了双方就这一核心问题的问答实况。

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 该视频由 YouTube 频道 StopProgressivism 于 2013 年 6 月 15 日发布。页面描述指出，美国国家情报总监（DNI）詹姆斯·克拉珀（James Clapper）在被问及美国国家安全局（NSA）是否在监视美国公民时，当面向参议院公然撒谎。 ## TL;DR 视频记录了参议院听证会上的关键质询片段。质询者向国家情报总监詹姆斯·克拉珀提出明确问题，要求其用“是”或“否”正面回答 NSA 是否收集了数百万乃至上亿美国公民的任何数据。克拉珀起初断然否认，称“没有收集”，随后又语气迟疑地改口补充，强调 NSA 并非“有意”（wittingly）收集，仅可能存在“无意间”（inadvertently）获取的情况。质询方在听取该解释后以一声简短的回应结束了本轮质询。 ## Atmosphere & style 整个片段弥漫着国会听证会特有的严肃、紧绷与对抗感。质询者的提问开门见山、步步紧逼，不留任何模糊空间；克拉珀在作答时则流露出明显的迟疑与字句斟酌，从最初斩钉截铁的否认迅速滑向充满保留的语义修饰，生动展现了高官在面对尖锐国会监督时试图进行语言周旋的微妙与窘迫。 ## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) 参议院听证会就国家安全局（NSA）是否收集数百万乃至上亿美国本土公民数据，向国家情报总监詹姆斯·克拉珀提出明确的“是”或“否”质询。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) 克拉珀在听证会现场断然否认存在此类大规模监控，最初回应称“不，长官，它没有收集”。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) 随后克拉珀迅速修正说法，辩称可能存在个别“无意”收集的情况，但坚称NSA绝非“蓄意为之”（Not wittingly）。 ## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) 质询核心直指NSA是否针对数以百万计乃至数亿美国本土公民进行任何类型的数据采集。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) 质询者在提问中设立了严格的前提，要求情报总监给出非黑即白的“是”或“否”的明确答案。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) 国家情报总监詹姆斯·克拉珀第一时间以“No sir, it does not”断然否认了指控。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) 在给出绝对否定的答复后，克拉珀神态迟疑，随即对之前的彻底否认做出了关键性补充与限定。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) 克拉珀将官方立场退守至主观意图层面，强调监控行为绝对不是“有意为之”（Not wittingly）。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) 克拉珀在证词中承认，在某些特定案例中可能会出现“无意”（inadvertently）收集到本土公民数据的情形。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) 克拉珀连续重复强调“not wittingly”，试图以此作为否认全面监控指责的防御边界。 - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) 质询方在听到克拉珀关于“非蓄意”的澄清后，以简短的“All right”结束了本轮交锋。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0&t=0s) 参议院听证会质询：NSA是否收集数以亿计美国公民的数据 在参议院听证会上，质询者向美国国家情报总监（DNI）詹姆斯·克拉珀（James Clapper）提出了一个极其明确且尖锐的问题，要求对方给出一个明确的“是”或“否”的答复。质询者提出：“So what I wanted to see is if you could give me a yes or no answer to the question: does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?”（我想知道的是，针对‘美国国家安全局（NSA）究竟有没有收集数百万乃至上亿美国人的任何类型的数据’这一问题，您是否能给我一个‘是’或者‘否’的回答？） 面对这一直截了当的提问，克拉珀在现场作出了断然否认，回答道：“No sir, it does not.”（不，长官，它没有收集。）然而紧接着，克拉珀又对这一绝对的否定做出了微妙的补充与限定，语气迟疑地改口说明：“Not wittingly. There are cases where they could inadvertently perhaps collect, but not not wittingly.”（并不是有意收集的。在某些情况下，他们可能会在无意之中收集到，但绝对不是蓄意为之。）在克拉珀澄清并非“有意”之后，提问方以一声简单的“All right”（好的）结束了这轮问答。 - **质询核心**：美国国家安全局（NSA）是否存在针对数百万乃至数亿美国本土公民的数据收集行为。 - **官方答复**：克拉珀断然否认存在蓄意收集（“Not wittingly”），仅承认可能存在极个别无意、附带收集（“inadvertently perhaps collect”）的情况。 ## Mentioned James Clapper, NSA, 美国参议院 ## Video description James Clapper (the Director of National Intelligence) flat out lies to the Senate when asked whether or not the NSA is spying on American citizens. #liar #traitor #stopthensa [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGYn7ER5U_0)

Original transcript

[0:00] so what I wanted to see is if you could [0:03] give me a yes or no answer to the [0:04] question does the NSA collect any type [0:08] of data at all on millions or hundreds [0:11] of millions of [0:13] Americans no [0:15] sir it does [0:18] not not [0:20] wittingly there are cases where they [0:22] could in inadvertently perhaps uh [0:25] collect but not not wittingly all right