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Logically one would expect it to be much bigger than verizon business. >> reporter: and it all leaves the administration needing to explain this exchange in march. >> does the nsa collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of americans. >> no, sir. >> it does not? >> not willingly. >> reporter: that verizon program, lawmakers say having access to that data helped law enforcement stopped terrorist plots from being carried out. >> now, james clapper, the director of nation...

Former intelligence officials and privacy advocates say its reasonable to presume other telephone companies got similar orders. >> if this is a, an open-ended and indiscriminate collection process as it seems to be, then, logically, one would expect it to be much bigger than verizon business. >> reporter: and it all leaves the administration needing to explain this exchange in march. >> does the nsa direct e check any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of americans? >> no, s...

Little too far. >> reporter: this morning, president obama is waking up in california, as a political firestorm over the governments collection of phone and internet data intentisifies. >> the bottom line is that the united states government now has phone records and other records of tens and tens and tens of millions of americans who have nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with terrorism. >> reporter: the political fallout after news that the nsa was collecting americans phone records from veri...

And internet data intensifies. >> bottom line, the united states government has phone records and internet records of tens and tens and tens of millions of american who have absolutely nothing to do with terrorism. >> reporter: the political fallout after news that the nsa was selecting phone records from verizon was quick. public outrage of privacy rights taking form online. >> you can hear me now? >> yes, we can. >> can you hear me now? >> yes, we can. >> reporter: a stinging editorial in "the...

Data intensifies. >> the bottom line is that the united states government now has phone records and other records of tens and tens and tens of millions of americans who have nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with terrorism. >> reporter: the political fallout after news that the nsa was collecting americans phone records from verizon was quick, public outrage over privacy rights already taking form on-line. >> can you hear me now? >> yes, we can. >> can you hear me now. >> yes, we can. >> your c...

Targets communications could easily be flowing into and through the u.s. cnn has not confirmed the authenticity of the documents. several of the companies reportedly cooperating with the government issued denials of involvement. this follows the stunning news that a secret federal court order directed verizon to hand over phone records of millions of americans. former intelligence officials and privacy advocates say, its reasonable to presume other telephone companies got similar orders. >> if t...

Hundreds of millions of americans? >> no, sir. >> it does not? >> not wittingly. >> reporter: that verizon program, lawmakers say having access to that data helped law enforcement help terrorist plots from being carried out. here is the crux of it, of course. the government saying they are looking to stop terrorist plots so really collecting on non-u.s. entities and non-u.s. personnel. the internet does not recognize international boundaries. james clapper, because of all of this, has to issue a...

Thats according to a top secret nsa presentation. intercepting data like video, photographs and e-mails flowing online. >> what this program enables the national security agency to do is to reach directly into the servers of the largest internet companies in the world, things that virtually every human being in the western world now uses to communicate with one another. >> reporter: the program appears to be intended to grab non-u.s. intercepts, many of which flow through the robust u.s. interne...

Over phone records of millions of americans. former intelligence officials and privacy advocates say, its reasonable to presume other telephone companies got similar orders. >> if this is an open-ended and indiscriminate collection process as it seems to be, then logically one would expect it to be much bigger than verizon business. >> reporter: and it all leaves the administration needing to explain this exchange in march. >> does the nsa collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds ...

Potentially internet records, listen to again one of the most conservative senators and one of the post-liberal. >> they basically said to verizon, give us your call logs. if they involve international calls, give them to us. if they involve domestic calls, give them to us. if they involve purely local calls, give them to us. we want all of them. thats a little disturbing to some of us. >> bottom line is, if we believe in freedom, if we believe you and i have the right the live our lives without...