AT&T Slapped In NSA Suit

http://www.forbes.com/home/intelligentinfrastructure/2006/05/17/nsa-wiretap-att_cx_df_0517nsa.html

Intelligent Infrastructure
AT&T Slapped In NSA Suit
Dan Frommer, 05.17.06, 6:30 PM ET

New York -

A federal judge dealt a blow to AT&T Wednesday, ruling that secret documents supposedly linking the telecom giant with a U.S. government domestic spying program can be used in a lawsuit.

The suit, filed in January by the privacy watchdog group Electronic Frontier Foundation, accuses AT&T (nyse: T - news - people ) of handing over customer data to the National Security Agency even though the federal agency did not provide a court order. Last week, USA Today published a widely discussed story that said AT&T, Verizon (nyse: VZ - news - people ) and Bell South (nyse: BLS - news - people ) had offered up millions of customer records to the NSA. The lawsuit, which says AT&T has been handing over call records from as early as 2001, makes broader claims, arguing that the company has provided the NSA with the content of many calls.

The documents in the AT&T case, which were given to the EFF by a former phone company employee, are sealed and will remain so for the immediate future. U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker told AT&T lawyers, who had argued that the documents contain trade secrets, to work with the EFF to pare down sensitive information so the files could be viewed in open court.

More at Link...

everyone getting $1,000. Of course more importantly I want it stopped now!!

Well it's a first step anyway.....we could donate the monies to dem candidates!

:evilgrin: :spank: :grr:

I'll be paying for cable modem internet service and Vonage!! ;)

The NY suit says at least a $1000 fine per infraction.
I think that means each phone number and how many times.
Not sure.
Would be nice though, but it'll be years before this gets settled!
;)

still good news.

As far as donating I'm sure we will all put it to good use. I would never tell anyone how to spend their money........

PB

http://www.forbes.com/home/intelligentinfrastructure/2006/05/17/nsa-wiretap-att_cx_df_0517nsa.html

Snip-->
But the telephone companies' denials give them plenty of wiggle room.
"I think they're very wisely being cautious about what they say and
preserving their options," says Rosalind Allen, a Washington, D.C.,
telecom attorney with Holland & Knight.

"In fact, we don't know what really happened.
We're not sure still what kind of interaction they did have with the NSA.
Just because they say, 'We didn't disclose all customer records'...
... Did you disclose some records?"

The phone companies now have multiple legal battles to contend with.
On Wednesday, attorneys added AT&T and BellSouth to a class action filed
last week against Verizon, accusing the company of violating customers' rights.

And the Electronic Privacy Information Center also filed a complaint Wednesday
with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin, asking the agency
to investigate whether the telcos shared private information with the NSA,
a potential violation of the Communications Act.

The next hearing in the EFF-AT&T case is set for June 23 at the U.S. District Court
for the Northern District of California, when Judge Walker will hear dismissal motions
from both AT&T and the U.S. Department of Justice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Go EPIF too!!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Gheez...I haven't checked my e-mail and I get e-mails from Think Progress everyday.
(I think I'm mixing up "The Center for American Progress" and "Think Progress".)
Ya know? Why the hell do we even have contracts and laws?? :shrug:
This is sooo f--ing ridiculous!!!!
CAN WE IMPEACH NOW??????????
Who will join me in the streets???
Damn........
Thanks for posting this! :thumbsup:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's a letter from Center for American Progress to Specter

Open Letter to Sen. Specter

May 17, 2006

Read the full report (PDF)
http://www.americanprogress.org/atf/cf/%7BE9245FE4-9A2B-43C7-A521-5D6FF2E06E03%7D/NSA_SURVEILLANCE_LETTER.PDF

Dear Chairman Specter,

We again applaud your efforts to investigate the activities of the Administration in carrying out electronic surveillance and related activities inside the United States without the judicial orders required under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). We share your frustration at the refusal of the Administration to share with the Congress the information about its activities necessary for Congress to carry out its legislative and oversight responsibilities.

Given the lack of information about the NSA programs, we are very concerned that you are planning to move forward with legislation. Congress cannot determine whether or how to change the law without a thorough understanding of what the Administration is doing and why it believes the current law is inadequate. The Administration must explain to Congress why it is necessary to change the law, and Congress must satisfy itself that any recommended changes would be constitutionally permissible. Congress should not legislate before it gets the information it needs and is entitled to from the Administration. So far, the Administration has identified only one problem, relating to the law's requirement that the Attorney General personally certify emergency wiretaps-a problem that could readily be addressed through far less radical means than new and sweeping legislation.

Respectfully, Mr. Chairman, we are deeply disturbed by the latest draft we have seen circulated by your office. The substitute dated May 11 would eliminate checks and balances on electronic surveillance in the United States and seriously erode the civil liberties of U.S. citizens. Rather than restoring judicial controls in the wake of revelations that the President has been authorizing warrantless wiretaps inside the US, the new substitute would--

....More here--> http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=1693097

Signed:

Sincerely,

American Civil Liberties Union
Center for American Progress
Center for Democracy and Technology
Center for National Security Studies
Liberty Coalition
Open Society Policy Center
Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances

how one would join these class action suits against these bastards?

in the class action lawsuit against Netflix. The lawyers found my name
on the companies's customer list and they sent me an e-mail and I think
I also recieved a snail-mail letter.

The same thing also happened with the class action against Hollywood Video.
They found me!

I'm pretty sure the lawyers will find you!
I don't expect any letter from the lawyers sueing Verizon for quite awhile!

Hang in there! These lawsuits go on for years!!!!

;)