A federal judge ruled that a National Security Agency program created to gather records of millions of Americans' phone calls is legal, saying that it acts as a "counter-punch" to terrorism, according to a report by Reuters.

U.S. District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan believes that the surveillance program does not violate Americans' privacy rights.

Pauley also mentioned in a 54-page decision that he had dismissed an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit that claimed the NSA's collection of "bulk telephony metadata" is a violation under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which bands warrantless searches.

The judge brought up the September 11, 2001 attacks, saying "broad counter-terrorism programs" could have saved nearly 3,000 people who died that day, according to Reuters.

"This blunt tool only works because it collects everything," Pauley said in his 54-page decision. "Technology allowed al Qaeda to operate decentralized and plot international terrorist attacks remotely. The bulk telephony metadata collection program represents the government's counter-punch."

The NSA program was first mentioned in the media by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who is currently in Russia under temporary asylum.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest has declined to comment so far, though the U.S. Department of Justice spokesman Peter Carr said the department is happy with the decision, according to Reuters.

President Barack Obama has repeatedly defended the program but has said many times he is willing to consider constraints if a good enough idea is presented. 

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