Given recent revelations about the extent of surveillance of Americans’ electronic communications by the National Security Agency, it has become clear that the federal government is in possession of an unparalleled cache of data that could be readily monetized by providing targeted advertising services. With its detailed records of citizens’ online activities, and access to their personal data across all platforms, the NSA is in a position to provide revolutionary new services in the targeted advertising market, a business pioneered by multi-billion dollar companies like Google and Facebook. Failing to capitalize on this unequaled opportunity would be a gross misuse of public resources that could generate new revenue streams to pay down the national debt or cover other budget shortfalls.



