EFF: AT&T forwards all Internet traffic into NSA

April 07, 2006
Spam Daily News


The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on Wednesday filed the legal briefs and evidence supporting its motion for a preliminary injunction in its class-action lawsuit against AT&T.

After asking EFF to hold back the documents so that it could review them, the Department of Justice consented to EFF's filing them under seal -- a well-established procedure that prohibits public access and permits only the judge and the litigants to see the evidence.

While not a party to the case, the government was concerned that even this procedure would not provide sufficient security and has represented to the Court that it is "presently considering whether and, if so, how it will participate in this case."

"The evidence that we are filing supports our claim that AT&T is diverting Internet traffic into the hands of the NSA wholesale, in violation of federal wiretapping laws and the Fourth Amendment," said EFF Staff Attorney Kevin Bankston.

"More than just threatening individuals' privacy, AT&T's apparent choice to give the government secret, direct access to millions of ordinary Americans' Internet communications is a threat to the Constitution itself. We are asking the Court to put a stop to it now," said Bankston.

EFF's evidence regarding AT&T's dragnet surveillance of its networks includes a declaration by Mark Klein, a retired AT&T telecommunications technician, and several internal AT&T documents. This evidence was bolstered and explained by the expert opinion of J. Scott Marcus, who served as Senior Technical Advisor for Internet Technology to the Federal Communications Commission from July 2001 until July 2005.

The internal AT&T documents and portions of the supporting declarations have been submitted to the Court under a tentative seal, a procedure that allows AT&T five court days to explain to the Court why the information should be kept from the public.

"The public deserves to know about AT&T's illegal program," said EFF Legal Director Cindy Cohn. "In an abundance of caution, we are providing AT&T with an opportunity to explain itself before this material goes on the public docket, but we believe that justice will ultimately require full disclosure."

The NSA program came to light in December, when the New York Times reported that the President had authorized the agency to intercept telephone and Internet communications inside the United States without the authorization of any court.

"Mark Klein is a true American hero," said EFF Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl. "He has bravely come forward with information critical for proving AT&T's involvement with the government's invasive surveillance program."

In the lawsuit, EFF is representing the class of all AT&T residential customers nationwide. Working with EFF in the lawsuit are the law firms Traber & Voorhees, Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins LLP and the Law Office of Richard R. Wiebe.

McCain or Hillary neither one would abide by this kinda sh*t.

I'm gonna be glad as hell come 2008.

Of course they would, Mike. The politician class has its own set of ethics far removed from reality. In fact, Mr. Hillary was involved in all sorts of wiretapping to keep tabs on his political enemies.

"In fact, Mr. Hillary was involved in all sorts of wiretapping to keep tabs on his political enemies."

Link please.

Link, or even an article in your weekly reader. Or maybe some reference to "The West Wing".

If by "cough" this is true by any "remote" stretch,"cough",then that could be why the FCC allowed the continuing remerge of smaller telecommunications providers back into a "larger" monoplolized "Public switched telephone network" ,P.S.T.N.
The Larger monopolized "P.S.T.N" was broken up in 1982-1983 by Judge Green's consent decree.
Current governmental trends would certainly make it easier to get control over the American public's communication...speech.
Sure it's free speach...."If you dare".

Interesting. Its gotta be that all important war on prescription drugs, the bane of civilization. You know we need wiretapping in a war on drugs so long as Mandy Patimkin is pimping the shit on TV. He is sooooooo sincere. Just like that asshole Josh Groban.

"Of course they would, Mike. The politician class has its own set of ethics far removed from reality. "

But THIS is most certainly correct.

..."Link, or even an article in your weekly reader. Or maybe some reference to "The West Wing""....ha ha ha
emphasis would be on the key word "reader" which implicates the ability to read and comprehend...but that I guess that is the reason for the necessary inclusion of the reference to THE favorite educational medium for the neo-con masses ,network T.V....
...a neocons definition of a "free thinker"....someone who THINKS he's free,then it must be...
But really Leflaw we are showing our age ,weekly reader,now that was when education was fun and enlightening...i guess privatized schools are going to have the "Weekly Prop Report" [propaganda].
...."Damn , I'm just trying to find a politition that i can trust"....

"http://www.fff.org/comment/ed0796b.asp"

That link does not support the assertion that "Mr. Hillary was involved in all sorts of wiretapping to keep tabs on his political enemies."

So clickplay - I called you out. Support your claim - if you can.

We do know that music executives are involved in wiretapping to keeps tabs on their enemies. : )

Ex-music exec pleads guilty in Pellicano case

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12211174/from/RSS/