ThinThread vs. Trailblazer: How the NSA Killed the Tool That Could've Prevented 9/11

On today’s episode, Andy sits down with Thomas Drake—a former senior executive at the NSA, Air Force veteran, software expert, whistleblower.

While at the NSA, Drake exposed serious issues including multi-billion-dollar fraud, intelligence failures, and a secret post-9/11 mass surveillance program. He supported the use of ThinThread, a cost-effective and privacy-protecting tool, but it was rejected in favor of Trailblazer—a more expensive program lacking privacy safeguards.

In 2005, Drake anonymously shared unclassified information about NSA misconduct with a journalist. In 2010, he was charged with 10 felony counts under the Espionage Act but the case collapsed, and he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. That same year, he received the Ridenhour Prize for Truth-Telling.

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