AT&T Sued Over NSA Eavesdropping

[democracyindanger]

The Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a class-action lawsuit against AT&T Tuesday, accusing the telecom company of violating federal laws by collaborating with the government's secret, warrantless wiretapping of American citizens' phone and internet usage.

The suit, (.pdf) filed by the civil liberties group in federal court in San Francisco, alleges AT&T secretly gave the NSA access to two massive databases that included both the contents of its subscribers' communications and detailed transaction records, such as numbers dialed and internet addresses visited.
...
One of AT&T's databases, known as "Hawkeye," contains 312 terabytes of data detailing nearly every telephone communication on AT&T's domestic network since 2001, according to the complaint. The suit also alleges that AT&T allowed the NSA to use the company's powerful Daytona database management software to quickly search this and other communication databases.

That action violates the first and fourth amendments to the Constitution, federal wiretapping statutes, as well as telecommunications laws and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, according to the complaint.
...
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,70126-0.html?tw=wn_index_2

[JuniperLea]

1. Excellent!

This is a great way to fight back. Hit them where it hurts... in the wallet.

[mike_c]

3. AT&T's wallet is virtually unassailable unless damages are assessed...

...that would bankrupt most countries.

[democracyindanger]

4. True, but

a class action lawsuit that awards huge damages does not look good to Wall Street, and the bottom line is always the stock price, not total assets.

[salin]

15. it isn't about the financial penalties

it is about forcing a Court to deal with the fourth amendment issue of the NSA fisa-less wiretaps... THAT is HUGE.

[lvx35]

2. This is uber important

they spying is coming from INSIDE these companies. Homeland Security has been outsourcing from companies like Seisint since 9/11, and that's where the illegal actions are going on. If you want to really preserve civil liberties, you have to look at these corporations that we have decided to let have more power than god.

[leveymg]

5. Wow. ATT kept a copy of all that 312 TB of data from 1.2 mil customers.

It appears from a quick read of the complaint, that if you're a customer of ATT the company recorded all your calls and kept them without a warrant.

This is incredible. Far worse than we have been led to believe. Wow.

[SlipperySlope]

6. Do you carry a cell phone?

Your phone company is probably tracking your location at all times...

How would you like the NSA to get their hands on that?

[leveymg]

7. They know where I am right now, anyway. Typing away at my

office, talking to you.

They can come and have a conversation with me anytime they want. In fact, I want to have a few words with you, Officer Mike. I know you're lurking out there, as this key word identifier concerns your agency, the NSA.

Mike, you're under arrest for violation of the federal wiretap statute. You have the right to remain silent . . .

[Daphne08]

25. What? Is this true?

[EVDebs]

26. Any access to that info from Bahamas based Global Information Group Ltd?

This is the private company where TIA was offshored/outsourced/privatized to, headed by Ben H. Bell, IIIrd, 'former' intelligence officer.

[Cobalt Violet]

8. Scary.

I can't believe it. It's just amazing that this is okay with 53% of Americans.

[liberalhistorian]

13. I don't think most people are truly

aware that it has reached this kind of magnitude and that companies not only keep their data for years but that they roll over and lick the jack-booted feet of those in the government who come to get that data. Most people still only think it involves just "terra-ists" and not ordinary, every-day Americans like them. They don't know that yahoo and aol and other internet providers are turning over their data, of MILLIONS of RANDOM searches made by MILLIONS of people. They don't know that AT and T is pulling this shit.

If they had any real idea of all of this, and that their own personal search and communication data is likely to be searched, and not just the "terra-ists", you'd better believe they'd be a lot more up in arms over it. But the spin and propaganda campaign has been very adept at making it seem as if only "terra-ists" are tapped and searched, and anyone who's against that must be against the fight on "terra-ism."

[Cobalt Violet]

18. I think your right about that.

I had no idea of the magnitude. I think I still don't really know the magnitude.

Their definition of terra-ist seems to be ever expanding.

The 2006 Republican platform will be Democrats = Terrorist.

[Miss Chybil]

14. Just wait until 47% of us have to wear a star on our sleeves.

That 53% still won't give a shit, unless, of course, they're related to, in love with, or gave birth to someone in the 47% category. Then, they might care. I doubt it, though. At least, not until it's too late.

[Cobalt Violet]

16. At the rate were going that will not be too far away.

2006 will be Democrats = terrorist. The repuke platform.

[pintaildux]

20. All in how it is worded

If you asked this same 53% if they minded the government listening in on their conversations. You would probably get a different response.

[Cronus Protagonist]

9. Take it all the way to the Supreme Court.... no wait! :(

fuggeddaboudit

[Boredtodeath]

10. And the very NEXT Activist Alert on DU should be

to encourage EVERY SINGLE DUer to make a donation to EFF to support them.

[kaygore]

11. Please make a post and tell us how to do so

Great idea. Thank you!

[Nickster]

12. Excellent, we need many more of these lawsuits to start coming about.

[lovuian]

17. Whoo HOO!!!

:bounce:

[leesa]

19. Very good...any AOL and Yahoo customers unhappy they were sold out?

[GetTheRightVote]

21. This is really great news, I hope they do take it to the top

and keep it in the eyes of the public so they realize the real danger behind the * admin's actions....

:kick:

[Wordie]

22. What about those privacy practices statements that the telecoms send out?

Would they override our Constitutional protections? I checked one of mine a while ago and it had statements in it that said that by having my phone service, I was agreeing to all sorts of things, and that, essentially, there were all sorts of exceptions to my expectation of privacy, including something about how the telecom could hand over info to the government if requested, and that the telecom wasn't responsible for this.

What is everyone supposed to do, go without a phone?

[suffragette]

23. "millions of people nationwide would be eligible to join the class action"

Bankston (the EFF attorney) estimates that millions of people nationwide would be eligible to join the class action, pushing the possible total fines into the billions. However, he expects the administration will try to kill the lawsuit by invoking the rarely used state secrets privilege.

"If state secrecy can prevent us from preserving the rights of millions upon millions of people, then there is a profound problem with the law," says Bankston.

So, we can all join the suit?

[orleans]

24. i'm replaying randi's show from tuesday and she just mentioned

this. so i came to breaking news here--and here it is. thank you eff.