Public reaction

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Poll results
Organization # polled Margin of error Date polled # who disapproved
(do not support)
# who approved
(support)
News release good?
Washington Post[1] 502 +/- 5% May 11 35% / 34%1 63% / 66%2 56%3
Newsweek[2] 1007 . May 11-12 53% / 57%4 41% / 35%5
USA Today/Gallup[1] 809 +/- 4% May 12-13 51% 43% .

1 35% do not support the program, 34% were bothered by the idea of the NSA having a record of their calls

2 63% of the American public supports the program, 66% were not bothered by the idea of the NSA having a record of their calls

3 56% thought it was right for the knowledge of the program to be released while 42% thought it was not.

4 53% The NSA's surveillance program goes too far in invading privacy, 57% In light of the NSA data-mining news and other executive actions the Bush-Cheney Administration has “gone too far in expanding presidential power"

5 35% think the Administration’s actions were appropriate, 41% The NSA's surveillance program is a tool to "combat terrorism"

These results were later considered inaccurate by further polls on the subject.[3]

  1. ^ a b "Washington Post-ABC News Poll". Washington Post-ABC News. Retrieved 2006-05-12. May 12, 2006 Cite error: The named reference "poll3" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Newsweek".
  3. ^ "UPDATE: Early 'Wash Post' Poll on NSA Phone Spying Refuted". editorandpublisher.com.