I'm afraid data mining emails, texts and phone calls is minor compared to some of the stuff they've been doing in the name of National Security.
A little known story came out after the WH published an
NSA report saying that "(2) Governments should not use their offensive cyber capabilities to change the amounts held in financial accounts or otherwise manipulate the financial systems." When asked if that's what they've been doing, they responded with, the NSA admitted to tracking financial information but only as it related to terrorist financing and terror networks. It states, "This information is collected through regulatory, law enforcement, diplomatic, and intelligence channels, as well as through undertakings with cooperating foreign allies and partners."
In 2008, the Wall Street Journal reported on “so-called 'black programs' whose existence is undisclosed.” Many of them “began years before the 9/11 attacks but have since been given greater reach. Among them, current and former intelligence officials say, is a longstanding Treasury Department program to collect individual financial data including wire transfers and credit-card transactions.” If one government agency has the data, then they all do.
The rest of the story can be read here...
Is the NSA Changing Bank Accounts?
If this is old information that we know about.. god knows what they're really up too currently? Privacy, citizen, rights, laws and Constitution are all terms becoming open to interpretation, especially when they invent phrases like "War on Terror". What the hell does that really mean, security at any costs thru absolute power of government?