C.I.A. Is Said to Pay AT&T for Call Data - NYTimes.com
▻http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/us/cia-is-said-to-pay-att-for-call-data.html?src=recpb&pagewanted=all&_r=0
The cooperation is conducted under a voluntary contract, not under subpoenas or court orders compelling the company to participate, according to the officials. The C.I.A. supplies phone numbers of overseas terrorism suspects, and AT&T searches its database and provides records of calls that may help identify foreign associates, the officials said. The company has a huge archive of data on phone calls, both foreign and domestic, that were handled by its network equipment, not just those of its own customers.