US govt defends domestic spying in Detroit court

The US government defended warrantless domestic surveillance in court for the first time today, saying the programme is well within the president’s authority but arguing that it would require revealing state secrets to prove that point.

US District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit heard arguments in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union against the National Security Agency. The ACLU is asking for an immediate halt to the programme, arguing that it violates the rights to free speech and privacy.