Main Core

National Security Agency surveillance
Map of global NSA data collection as of 2007[update], with countries subject to the most data collection shown in red
Programs Pre-1978 ECHELON MINARET SHAMROCK PROMIS Since 1978 Upstream collection BLARNEY FAIRVIEW Main Core ThinThread Genoa Since 1990 RAMPART-A Since 1998 Tailored Access Operations Since 2001 OAKSTAR STORMBREW Trailblazer Turbulence Genoa II Total Information Awareness President's Surveillance Program Terrorist Surveillance Program Since 2007 PRISM Dropmire Stateroom Bullrun MYSTIC Databases, tools etc. PINWALE MARINA Main Core MAINWAY TRAFFICTHIEF DISHFIRE XKeyscore ICREACH BOUNDLESSINFORMANT GCHQ collaboration MUSCULAR Tempora
Legislation Safe Streets Act Privacy Act of 1974 FISA ECPA Patriot Act Homeland Security Act Protect America Act of 2007 FISA Amendments Act of 2008
Institutions FISC Senate Intelligence Committee National Security Council
Lawsuits ACLU v. NSA Hepting v. AT&T Jewel v. NSA Clapper v. Amnesty Klayman v. Obama ACLU v. Clapper Wikimedia v. NSA US v. Moalin
Whistleblowers William Binney Thomas Drake Mark Klein Thomas Tamm Russ Tice Edward Snowden
Publication 2005 warrantless surveillance scandal Global surveillance disclosures (2013–present)
Related Cablegate Surveillance of reporters Mail tracking UN diplomatic spying Insider Threat Program Mass surveillance in the United States Mass surveillance in the United Kingdom
Concepts SIGINT Metadata
Collaboration United States CSS CYBERCOM DOJ FBI CIA DHS IAO Five Eyes CSEC GCHQ ASD GCSB Other DGSE BND
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Main Core is an American government database containing information on those believed to be threats to national security.^[1]

The existence of the database was first asserted in May 2008 by Christopher Ketcham^[2] and again in July 2008 by Tim Shorrock.^[3]

The Main Core data comes from the NSA, FBI, CIA, and other agencies,^[1] and is collected and stored without warrants or court orders.^[1] The database's name derives from the fact that it contains copies of the essence of each item (i.e. it contains the main core of each item) of intelligence information on Americans having been produced by the FBI and other agencies of the U.S. intelligence community.^[1]

As of 2008^[update], there are eight million Americans listed in the database as possible threats, often for trivial reasons, whom the government may choose to track, question, or detain in a time of crisis.^[4][5]

• Disposition Matrix
• Rex 84
• FBI Index
• Investigative Data Warehouse
• National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive
• NSA warrantless surveillance controversy
• PRISM (surveillance program)

• Radar article by Christopher Ketcham, May/June 2008
• NSA's Domestic Spying Grows As Agency Sweeps Up Data by Siobhan Gorman, Updated March 10, 2008 12:01 a.m. ET