TruthOrFake Logo
TruthOrFake
Fact Check: Is XKeyscore still used?

Fact Check: Is XKeyscore still used?

Published June 30, 2025
ByFactChecker 1.1 avatarFactChecker 1.1
?
VERDICT
Unverified

# Is XKeyscore Still Used? The claim in question is whether XKeyscore, a surveillance program developed by the National Security Agency (NSA), is sti...

Is XKeyscore Still Used?

The claim in question is whether XKeyscore, a surveillance program developed by the National Security Agency (NSA), is still in operation today. This program has been a focal point of discussions regarding government surveillance and privacy concerns, particularly following its exposure by whistleblower Edward Snowden in 2013. The current status of XKeyscore is not definitively known, leading to speculation and varying opinions on its continued use.

What We Know

  1. Background of XKeyscore: XKeyscore is a system designed for searching and analyzing global internet data. It allows NSA analysts to query vast amounts of data collected from various sources, including email, social media, and web browsing activities [1][4]. The program was publicly revealed in 2013, sparking significant controversy regarding privacy and civil liberties [3].

  2. Functionality and Purpose: According to multiple sources, XKeyscore functions as a powerful tool for the NSA, enabling real-time data analysis and surveillance. It is described as a search engine for the NSA's collected data, allowing analysts to track individuals and gather intelligence [5][7].

  3. Official Reports and Oversight: The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) conducted an independent review of XKeyscore, stating that while it is not a collection program itself, it plays a crucial role in analyzing data collected by other surveillance programs. The report emphasized that XKeyscore has rigorous oversight and compliance mechanisms [8].

  4. Current Status: As of now, there is no official confirmation from the NSA regarding the current operational status of XKeyscore. The lack of recent disclosures or updates from credible sources leaves its ongoing use ambiguous.

Analysis

The sources available present a mix of information regarding XKeyscore's capabilities and its operational status.

  • Wikipedia Articles: The Wikipedia entries in various languages provide a general overview of XKeyscore, its functionalities, and historical context. However, Wikipedia's collaborative nature means that while it can be a good starting point, it may not always reflect the most current information or nuanced perspectives [1][2][3].

  • Infosec and DCSS Project: Articles from Infosec and the Digital Citizenship and Surveillance Society provide insights into the operational aspects of XKeyscore, detailing its capabilities and implications for privacy. However, these sources may carry a bias towards highlighting the negative aspects of surveillance technologies, which could influence their portrayal of XKeyscore [4][5].

  • PCLOB Report: The report from the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board is a significant source, as it comes from an independent government body tasked with reviewing surveillance practices. Its findings lend credibility to the claim that XKeyscore is a tool for analysis rather than direct data collection, but it does not address whether the program is still actively used [8].

  • Recent Blog Post: A recent blog post from 2024 discusses XKeyscore's design and functionality but does not provide new information regarding its current operational status. The blog's credibility may be limited due to its informal nature and potential lack of peer review [7].

Conflicts of Interest and Methodology

Some sources may have inherent biases, particularly those that focus on civil liberties and privacy concerns, which could lead to a more critical portrayal of surveillance programs like XKeyscore. Additionally, the absence of recent, direct statements from the NSA raises questions about the transparency of the agency regarding its surveillance practices.

What Additional Information Would Be Helpful?

To better understand the current status of XKeyscore, it would be beneficial to have:

  • Official Statements from the NSA: Direct confirmation or denial of the program's current use would clarify its operational status.
  • Recent Investigative Reports: Investigative journalism that explores the current state of NSA surveillance programs could provide insights into whether XKeyscore is still active.
  • Expert Opinions: Interviews or analyses from cybersecurity experts or former NSA officials could shed light on the program's relevance in today's surveillance landscape.

Conclusion

Verdict: Unverified

The claim regarding the current operational status of XKeyscore remains unverified due to a lack of definitive evidence. While the program is known for its capabilities in analyzing vast amounts of data, there has been no official confirmation from the NSA about whether it is still in use today. The available sources provide a mix of historical context and functionality but do not address its current status, leading to ambiguity.

It is important to note that the absence of recent disclosures from credible sources contributes to this uncertainty. The potential biases in some sources, particularly those focused on civil liberties, may also affect the portrayal of XKeyscore. Therefore, readers should approach this topic with caution and remain aware of the limitations in the available evidence.

As always, it is advisable for readers to critically evaluate information themselves and consider seeking out multiple perspectives to form a well-rounded understanding of the issue.

Sources

  1. XKeyscore - Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XKeyscore
  2. XKeyscore – Wikipedia (Finnish). Retrieved from https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xkeyscore
  3. XKeyscore — Wikipédia (French). Retrieved from https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/XKeyscore
  4. XKeyscore: NSA’s Surveillance Program | Infosec. Retrieved from https://www.infosecinstitute.com/resources/general-security/xkeyscore-nsas-surveillance-program/
  5. XKEYSCORE – Digital Citizenship and Surveillance Society. Retrieved from https://dcssproject.net/xkeyscore/index.html
  6. XKEYSCORE - ITsäkerhet. Retrieved from https://www.xn--itskerhet-x2a.com/xkeyscore/
  7. Demystifying XKeyscore: Inside the NSA's Controversial Internet ... Retrieved from https://blog.nejan.serendibytes.com/2024/02/Demystifying-xkeyscore.html
  8. PCLOB Xkeyscore report: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/nsa-xkeyscore-report

Have a claim you want to verify? It's 100% Free!

Our AI-powered fact-checker analyzes claims against thousands of reliable sources and provides evidence-based verdicts in seconds. Completely free with no registration required.

💡 Try:
"Coffee helps you live longer"
✓100% Free
✓No Registration
✓Instant Results

Comments

Leave a comment

Loading comments...

More Fact Checks to Explore

Discover similar claims and stay informed with these related fact-checks

Fact Check: Is access still used?
Unverified
🎯 Similar

Fact Check: Is access still used?

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Is access still used?

Jul 1, 2025
Read more →
🔍
Partially True
🎯 Similar

Fact Check: Transcript 00:00 For all of their strutting about protesting that they support democracy. Not a one of them gave a damn about democracy when they pulled Biden off the ballot and dropped Kamala Harris in without a single Democrat primary voter voting for him. And you know what? Not a single Democrat is here today because not a single one of them gives a damn about the fact that they lied to the American people for four years. They knew Every one of them knew that Joe Biden was 00:34 mentally not competent to do the job. The White House Press Secretary. She knew when she stood in front of the American people and lied over and over and over again and they're not here because they can't defend themselves. It wasn't a surprise for four years the White House hid President Biden from Republican Senators. Would not let him meet with us. He served 40 years in this body. We all know him. And they deliberately lied and by the way Jake Tapper had a bombshell 01:08 book exposing the incredible scandal that Biden's mental decline was covered up by Jake Tapper. There's a Yiddish word and that truly is how dare we lie and cover up what we all knew. Now I have been asked literally a thousand times by Texans. Was running the country? And I'm going to give 01:40 you the most terrifying answer. I don't know. I genuinely don't know. And not a single Democrat here cares. The most telling proof of Biden's decline came with the signature of the president. The symbol of executive authority that was outsourced to a machine. Mister Wald you're a lawyer who served in the White House Council's Office. You understand the gravity of presidential action. Does the president's signature 02:10 carry legal and constitutional weight under article two? Yes. Is the act of signing an executive order or signing a law or granting a pardon a delegable duty of the president. Uh so in that opinion in 2005 from OLC they said essentially that an autopin could be used by a subordinate but the president's determination as to sign the document can never be delegated. Can that authority 02:41 be transferred to a staff or a machine without the president's explicit authorization? Never. And if you look at the statistics, the statistics are stunning. In 2021, President Biden issued 78 executive orders. None were signed with an auto pen. That first year the presidency, Biden I suppose was relatively lucid and 78 executive orders he signed by hand. The second year, however, we see the auto pen emerged. 03:15 The first auto pen executive order was issued on 15th 2022. After that day 100% of the executive orders issued in 2022 were signed by an autopen. In 2023 Biden issued twenty-four executive orders. 16 were auto penned. In 20twenty-four Biden issued 19. 14 were auto penned. In twenty twenty-5 Biden issued fourteen executive orders every single one was auto pins. 03:52 Mister Wald let me ask you as a legal matter if there's a law that's passed both houses of Congress and it goes to the White House and a staffer autopins signing that law without the president's authorization is that law legally passed and signed in the law? No. If an executive order is issued and a staffer autopins it without the president's authorization, is that executive order legally binding? No. And if a pardon issued from the President of 04:22 the United States and a staffer auto pens it without the president's authorization. Is that pardon legally binding? No. Under the Biden White House the ceremonial song hailed to the chief was effectively replaced with hail to the pen and it was an outright assault on democracy and every reporter covering this ought to ask why doesn't a Democrat care? We heard about the moral responsibilities of a staffer. 04:54 How about an elected senator who knows damn well that if we get into a war and Iran is preparing to fire a nuclear weapon at the United States that the commander in chief is busy playing with his jello and he's not competent to defend ourselves and every member of the cabinet, the chief of staff, the press secretary, and the members of Congress who lied about this on a daily basis with the press's complicity. They are all responsible for subverting democracy. Angry Ted Cruz is perhaps my favorite version of 05:27 Ted Cruz because when he's getting history on it, you might want to take a listen. He is definitely angry that there's some acting going on here in the line of hail to the chief change from hail to the pen that's not a smart line but it's still the truth. The truth is in this video right here ladies and gentlemen. The change in the way Joe Biden used the autopin is a steady upward moving graph from twenty twenty-one to the end of his presidency in early twenty 05:58 twenty-five. Okay? That is a noticeable issue. And if he does not directly authorize the autopin we've got We've got grounds to go through every single law Joe Biden has signed that way and perhaps ignore them all together. There's way more evidence behind the autopin theory and hopefully it ends up sticking. I I hope it does because I think this is in a way worse than the Bill Clinton perjury case. Cuz Bill 06:28 Clinton basically lied before Congress lied directly to the American people lied under oath. This is worse in a way. Because lying under oath means that you know where the truth is and you're just hoping to get away with it and there's a direct law. This however Signing with the auto pin is more opaque. It is an ultimate he said she said and you're dont rate the opinion oo just fact if there is

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Transcript 00:00 For all of their strutting about protesting that they support democracy. Not a one of them gave a damn about democracy when they pulled Biden off the ballot and dropped Kamala Harris in without a single Democrat primary voter voting for him. And you know what? Not a single Democrat is here today because not a single one of them gives a damn about the fact that they lied to the American people for four years. They knew Every one of them knew that Joe Biden was 00:34 mentally not competent to do the job. The White House Press Secretary. She knew when she stood in front of the American people and lied over and over and over again and they're not here because they can't defend themselves. It wasn't a surprise for four years the White House hid President Biden from Republican Senators. Would not let him meet with us. He served 40 years in this body. We all know him. And they deliberately lied and by the way Jake Tapper had a bombshell 01:08 book exposing the incredible scandal that Biden's mental decline was covered up by Jake Tapper. There's a Yiddish word and that truly is how dare we lie and cover up what we all knew. Now I have been asked literally a thousand times by Texans. Was running the country? And I'm going to give 01:40 you the most terrifying answer. I don't know. I genuinely don't know. And not a single Democrat here cares. The most telling proof of Biden's decline came with the signature of the president. The symbol of executive authority that was outsourced to a machine. Mister Wald you're a lawyer who served in the White House Council's Office. You understand the gravity of presidential action. Does the president's signature 02:10 carry legal and constitutional weight under article two? Yes. Is the act of signing an executive order or signing a law or granting a pardon a delegable duty of the president. Uh so in that opinion in 2005 from OLC they said essentially that an autopin could be used by a subordinate but the president's determination as to sign the document can never be delegated. Can that authority 02:41 be transferred to a staff or a machine without the president's explicit authorization? Never. And if you look at the statistics, the statistics are stunning. In 2021, President Biden issued 78 executive orders. None were signed with an auto pen. That first year the presidency, Biden I suppose was relatively lucid and 78 executive orders he signed by hand. The second year, however, we see the auto pen emerged. 03:15 The first auto pen executive order was issued on 15th 2022. After that day 100% of the executive orders issued in 2022 were signed by an autopen. In 2023 Biden issued twenty-four executive orders. 16 were auto penned. In 20twenty-four Biden issued 19. 14 were auto penned. In twenty twenty-5 Biden issued fourteen executive orders every single one was auto pins. 03:52 Mister Wald let me ask you as a legal matter if there's a law that's passed both houses of Congress and it goes to the White House and a staffer autopins signing that law without the president's authorization is that law legally passed and signed in the law? No. If an executive order is issued and a staffer autopins it without the president's authorization, is that executive order legally binding? No. And if a pardon issued from the President of 04:22 the United States and a staffer auto pens it without the president's authorization. Is that pardon legally binding? No. Under the Biden White House the ceremonial song hailed to the chief was effectively replaced with hail to the pen and it was an outright assault on democracy and every reporter covering this ought to ask why doesn't a Democrat care? We heard about the moral responsibilities of a staffer. 04:54 How about an elected senator who knows damn well that if we get into a war and Iran is preparing to fire a nuclear weapon at the United States that the commander in chief is busy playing with his jello and he's not competent to defend ourselves and every member of the cabinet, the chief of staff, the press secretary, and the members of Congress who lied about this on a daily basis with the press's complicity. They are all responsible for subverting democracy. Angry Ted Cruz is perhaps my favorite version of 05:27 Ted Cruz because when he's getting history on it, you might want to take a listen. He is definitely angry that there's some acting going on here in the line of hail to the chief change from hail to the pen that's not a smart line but it's still the truth. The truth is in this video right here ladies and gentlemen. The change in the way Joe Biden used the autopin is a steady upward moving graph from twenty twenty-one to the end of his presidency in early twenty 05:58 twenty-five. Okay? That is a noticeable issue. And if he does not directly authorize the autopin we've got We've got grounds to go through every single law Joe Biden has signed that way and perhaps ignore them all together. There's way more evidence behind the autopin theory and hopefully it ends up sticking. I I hope it does because I think this is in a way worse than the Bill Clinton perjury case. Cuz Bill 06:28 Clinton basically lied before Congress lied directly to the American people lied under oath. This is worse in a way. Because lying under oath means that you know where the truth is and you're just hoping to get away with it and there's a direct law. This however Signing with the auto pin is more opaque. It is an ultimate he said she said and you're dont rate the opinion oo just fact if there is

Jul 27, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: Is wxWidgets still used?
True
🎯 Similar

Fact Check: Is wxWidgets still used?

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Is wxWidgets still used?

Jul 2, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: Is jQuery still used?
True

Fact Check: Is jQuery still used?

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Is jQuery still used?

Jul 1, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: 11 YR OLD SHOOTS ILLEGALS thanks FOX NEWS for reporting it. BUTTE , MONTANA Shotgun preteen vs. Illegal alien Home Invaders...Two illegal aliens, Ralphel Resindez, 23, and Enrico Garza, 26, probably believed they would easily overpower home-alone 11-year-old Patricia Harrington after her father had left their two-story home. It seems the two crooks never learned two things: they were in Montana and Patricia had been a clay-shooting champion since she was nine.Patricia was in her upstairs room when the two men broke through the front door of the house. She quickly ran to her father's room and grabbed his 12-gauge Mossberg 500 shotgun. Resindez was the first to get up to the second floor only to be the first to catch a near point blank blast of buckshot from the 11-year-old's knee-crouch aim. He suffered fatal wounds to his abdomen and genitals.When Garza ran to the foot of the stairs, he took a blast to the left shoulder and staggered out into the ...street where he bled to death before medical help could arrive. It was found out later that Resindez was armed with a stolen 45-caliber handgun he took from another home invasion robbery. That victim, 50-year-old David 0'Burien, was not so lucky. He died from stab wounds to the chest.Ever wonder why good stuff never makes NBC, CBS, PBS, MSNBC, CNN, or ABC news........? An 11 year old girl, properly trained, defended her home, and herself......against two murderous, illegal immigrants.......and she wins. She is still alive. Now THAT is Gun Control!Thought for the day.... Calling an illegal alien an 'undocumented immigrant' is like calling a drug dealer an 'unlicensed pharmacist.'I like this kind of e-mail! American citizens defending themselves and their homes.
Unverified

Fact Check: 11 YR OLD SHOOTS ILLEGALS thanks FOX NEWS for reporting it. BUTTE , MONTANA Shotgun preteen vs. Illegal alien Home Invaders...Two illegal aliens, Ralphel Resindez, 23, and Enrico Garza, 26, probably believed they would easily overpower home-alone 11-year-old Patricia Harrington after her father had left their two-story home. It seems the two crooks never learned two things: they were in Montana and Patricia had been a clay-shooting champion since she was nine.Patricia was in her upstairs room when the two men broke through the front door of the house. She quickly ran to her father's room and grabbed his 12-gauge Mossberg 500 shotgun. Resindez was the first to get up to the second floor only to be the first to catch a near point blank blast of buckshot from the 11-year-old's knee-crouch aim. He suffered fatal wounds to his abdomen and genitals.When Garza ran to the foot of the stairs, he took a blast to the left shoulder and staggered out into the ...street where he bled to death before medical help could arrive. It was found out later that Resindez was armed with a stolen 45-caliber handgun he took from another home invasion robbery. That victim, 50-year-old David 0'Burien, was not so lucky. He died from stab wounds to the chest.Ever wonder why good stuff never makes NBC, CBS, PBS, MSNBC, CNN, or ABC news........? An 11 year old girl, properly trained, defended her home, and herself......against two murderous, illegal immigrants.......and she wins. She is still alive. Now THAT is Gun Control!Thought for the day.... Calling an illegal alien an 'undocumented immigrant' is like calling a drug dealer an 'unlicensed pharmacist.'I like this kind of e-mail! American citizens defending themselves and their homes.

Detailed fact-check analysis of: 11 YR OLD SHOOTS ILLEGALS thanks FOX NEWS for reporting it. BUTTE , MONTANA Shotgun preteen vs. Illegal alien Home Invaders...Two illegal aliens, Ralphel Resindez, 23, and Enrico Garza, 26, probably believed they would easily overpower home-alone 11-year-old Patricia Harrington after her father had left their two-story home. It seems the two crooks never learned two things: they were in Montana and Patricia had been a clay-shooting champion since she was nine.Patricia was in her upstairs room when the two men broke through the front door of the house. She quickly ran to her father's room and grabbed his 12-gauge Mossberg 500 shotgun. Resindez was the first to get up to the second floor only to be the first to catch a near point blank blast of buckshot from the 11-year-old's knee-crouch aim. He suffered fatal wounds to his abdomen and genitals.When Garza ran to the foot of the stairs, he took a blast to the left shoulder and staggered out into the ...street where he bled to death before medical help could arrive. It was found out later that Resindez was armed with a stolen 45-caliber handgun he took from another home invasion robbery. That victim, 50-year-old David 0'Burien, was not so lucky. He died from stab wounds to the chest.Ever wonder why good stuff never makes NBC, CBS, PBS, MSNBC, CNN, or ABC news........? An 11 year old girl, properly trained, defended her home, and herself......against two murderous, illegal immigrants.......and she wins. She is still alive. Now THAT is Gun Control!Thought for the day.... Calling an illegal alien an 'undocumented immigrant' is like calling a drug dealer an 'unlicensed pharmacist.'I like this kind of e-mail! American citizens defending themselves and their homes.

Aug 12, 2025
Read more →
Fact Check: Chris West believes Trump is still the legitimate president after losing in 2020.
Unverified

Fact Check: Chris West believes Trump is still the legitimate president after losing in 2020.

Detailed fact-check analysis of: Chris West believes Trump is still the legitimate president after losing in 2020.

Jul 4, 2025
Read more →
Explore All Fact Checks