A Good American: Unveiling the Truth Behind U.S. Surveillance
"A Good American" is a riveting exploration of a groundbreaking surveillance program and the controversial decisions that marked a pivotal moment in U.S. history.
30 Aug 2023
Trailer
Three NSA whistleblowers, including William Binney, claimed that a more effective surveillance system could have prevented the September 11 attacks.
“How our security was sold for money”
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Synopsis
Three NSA whistleblowers, including William Binney, claimed that a more effective surveillance system could have prevented the September 11 attacks.
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William Binney, a former official at the National Security Agency, developed ThinThread, a surveillance system designed to analyze intercepted communications while protecting privacy. After the September 11 attacks, Binney, along with whistleblowers J. Kirk Wiebe and Edward Loomis, accused the NSA of wasting resources on the less effective Trailblazer Project. A Good American features interviews with Binney and other former officials, detailing how ThinThread could have potentially prevented the attacks and the consequences of its rejection.
Deep Dive
Why Watch
- Meet whistleblower William Binney and his story.
- Find out why ThinThread was shelved before 9/11.
- See reenactments of critical NSA decisions.
Did You Know
- William Binney resigned from the NSA shortly after September 11, 2001.
- ThinThread was developed as a less expensive alternative to Trailblazer.
- Gen. Michael Hayden vetoed the deployment of ThinThread just three weeks before 9/11.
- The documentary has a score of 63 on Metacritic based on reviews.
Perfect For
NSA historyWhistleblower storiesIntelligence community
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is William Binney?
William Binney is a former official of the National Security Agency who resigned shortly after the September 11 attacks and is known for his work as a whistleblower.
What was ThinThread?
ThinThread was a less expensive alternative system for analyzing intercepted data, created by William Binney and others, which included privacy safeguards that Trailblazer lacked.
What was the outcome of the investigation requested by Binney and others?
Binney and two other NSA whistleblowers asked the U.S. Defense Department Inspector General to investigate the NSA for wasting millions on the Trailblazer Project, which they claimed could have been avoided with ThinThread.
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