The news coverage of the Snowden leaks being taken at face value probably played a part in this. Non-technical journalists made assumptions which were either unsubstantiated or even sometimes refuted by the leaked material accompanying the coverage.
Examples which I still hear repeated: The claim that NSA considers TOR users to be extremists (Based purely off XKS DSL code which was used to filter connections), claims that there is a loophole allowing NSA to collect American information via GCHQ (In reality US Person Information protections apply regardless of who collected the data), and claims that companies are willing "partners" of the NSA via PRISM (Whereas PRISM is actually the term used to describe use of the FBI and a FISA warrant+gag to collect non-US Person data from US companies using an assumed-to-be automated process, the companies themselves not actually having a choice in the matter).
NSA seems to have decided to not push back on the untrue claims or assumptions which were conveyed. There were responses along the lines of "the organization does everything within the bounds of US law for national security purposes" which is quite meaningless and only served to make people more upset. With the material already out there, NSA PR probably could have done much better if they responded in an informed and blunt manner, instead of allowing the "blanks" to be filled in by assumptions.
I understand and fully agree with your main point, but it isn't too hard to see why this attitude is prevalent regarding the US IC these days, as most folks have not read the source material and are relying on what the press coverage either stated or implied.
Examples which I still hear repeated: The claim that NSA considers TOR users to be extremists (Based purely off XKS DSL code which was used to filter connections), claims that there is a loophole allowing NSA to collect American information via GCHQ (In reality US Person Information protections apply regardless of who collected the data), and claims that companies are willing "partners" of the NSA via PRISM (Whereas PRISM is actually the term used to describe use of the FBI and a FISA warrant+gag to collect non-US Person data from US companies using an assumed-to-be automated process, the companies themselves not actually having a choice in the matter).
NSA seems to have decided to not push back on the untrue claims or assumptions which were conveyed. There were responses along the lines of "the organization does everything within the bounds of US law for national security purposes" which is quite meaningless and only served to make people more upset. With the material already out there, NSA PR probably could have done much better if they responded in an informed and blunt manner, instead of allowing the "blanks" to be filled in by assumptions.
I understand and fully agree with your main point, but it isn't too hard to see why this attitude is prevalent regarding the US IC these days, as most folks have not read the source material and are relying on what the press coverage either stated or implied.