This shit happens regularly since the Patriot Act was passed. These secretly court ordered mass surveillances of call data usually do not get leaked to the press, is all. This is the second or third time since the Act passed that an order or info about surveillances has leaked out, but people forget the news items from 5, 10+ years ago.
The title, "Patriot Act", screams double-think, but the nation was still so shocked and scared about 9/11/01 that these fuckers in DC took advantage of that. It was the single worst legislation package passed into law, ever, if you care about the Bill of Rights. If you recall, the Act did start a wildfire of opposition from the grassroots left and far right back then.
NSA and other intelligence agencies will do w/e the fuck they want to, even if the Patriot Act is repealed.