If you look at the source of the "collection directly from the servers" terminology, the You Should Use Both slide http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/08/nsa-prism-server... , it's fairly clear that PRISM collection is being contrasted to "upstream" collection. In the context, it would be natural to describe getting someone's GMail account state (plus a live feed of account updates) through a FISA directive (and an API) as "collection directly from the servers": the stated alternative is recording the packets of someone's IP connections as they cross into and out of the US, a much more indirect and not-from-the-server(s) option. Then there's the fact that the slide heading is "FAA702 Operations". Using FAA 702 on Google requires the US Government to serve a FAA 702 directive to Google; getting a Google employee to hand over information without Google's knowledge would not be using FAA 702 at all.
(Further, the fact that Greenwald couldn't figure this out from looking at the You Should Use Both slide by himself - instead, actually producing the slide in the belief that it was evidence which undermines the FISA-API theory - and still can't or won't get it after having it explained to him, undermines the thesis that he's both able and willing to interpret the PRISM presentation carefully and accurately. Though he wasn't the only journalist to (apparently) misinterpret the "direct access" claim at first.)
Thanks for that. Best response I've seen on these issues - I hope others read it.
I'm not sure on the requirement for a FAA702 directive to be issued to Google however. Surely the upstream operations (which come under the same heading of FAA702 in the slide) don't require a FAA702 directive? I'm no expert but the directives seem to serve as a means to access the information, not as a necessity for disclosure of information should it be available by other means....
(Further, the fact that Greenwald couldn't figure this out from looking at the You Should Use Both slide by himself - instead, actually producing the slide in the belief that it was evidence which undermines the FISA-API theory - and still can't or won't get it after having it explained to him, undermines the thesis that he's both able and willing to interpret the PRISM presentation carefully and accurately. Though he wasn't the only journalist to (apparently) misinterpret the "direct access" claim at first.)