Despite possessing the technological capabilities to monitor vast amounts of communication traffic, the NSA failed to prevent the September 11th attacks. The agency had intercepted communications between al-Qaeda operatives, but these were not analyzed in a timely or thorough manner due to bureaucratic inefficiencies and a lack of collaboration with other intelligence agencies. The NSA also lacked the authority to search for domestic terrorism-related content, limiting its ability to detect the plot's development within the United States. These shortcomings highlight the challenges of using mass surveillance technology effectively, particularly in balancing security concerns with privacy rights.
