Precisely--this result only occurred here because of the combination of (1) an activity that is clearly* outside the express statutory authorization, (2) a whis

Precisely--this result only occurred here because of the combination of (1) an activity that is clearly* outside the express statutory authorization, (2) a whistleblower that provided indisputable evidence of the activity, and (3) an independent judiciary that (sometimes) doesn't kowtow to invocations of national security and state secrets doctrine. Most of the other programs are missing these conditions and won't see effective challenges. * yes, clearly. As others note above, the drafters of the statute have gone on record saying it was not intended to authorize bulk collection.