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US government sued over NSA surveillance
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/07/20137161971494728.htmlUS government sued over NSA surveillance
Lawsuit filed in California federal court by diverse collection of groups, including gun ownership advocates.
Last Modified: 16 Jul 2013 23:17
A group of organisations represented by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in the United States has filed a suit against the National Security Agency for violating their right of association by illegally collecting their call records.
Nineteen organisations sued the NSA on Tuesday - the first legal action against the spy agency since its surveillance programme was leaked by former employee Edward Snowden who is on the run and is seeking asylum in Russia.
The coalition includes Unitarian church group, gun ownership advocates, and a broad coalition of membership and political advocacy groups.
"The First Amendment protects the freedom to associate and express political views as a group, but the NSA's mass, untargeted collection of Americans' phone records violates that right by giving the government a dramatically detailed picture into our associational ties," Cindy Cohn, legal director for the EFF, said.
"Who we call, how often we call them, and how long we speak shows the government what groups we belong to or associate with, which political issues concern us, and our religious affiliation.
"Exposing this information – especially in a massive, untargeted way over a long period of time – violates the Constitution and the basic First Amendment tests that have been in place for over 50 years."
More at link
Lawsuit filed in California federal court by diverse collection of groups, including gun ownership advocates.
Last Modified: 16 Jul 2013 23:17
A group of organisations represented by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) in the United States has filed a suit against the National Security Agency for violating their right of association by illegally collecting their call records.
Nineteen organisations sued the NSA on Tuesday - the first legal action against the spy agency since its surveillance programme was leaked by former employee Edward Snowden who is on the run and is seeking asylum in Russia.
The coalition includes Unitarian church group, gun ownership advocates, and a broad coalition of membership and political advocacy groups.
"The First Amendment protects the freedom to associate and express political views as a group, but the NSA's mass, untargeted collection of Americans' phone records violates that right by giving the government a dramatically detailed picture into our associational ties," Cindy Cohn, legal director for the EFF, said.
"Who we call, how often we call them, and how long we speak shows the government what groups we belong to or associate with, which political issues concern us, and our religious affiliation.
"Exposing this information – especially in a massive, untargeted way over a long period of time – violates the Constitution and the basic First Amendment tests that have been in place for over 50 years."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/16/us-usa-security-nsa-lawsuit-idUSBRE96F0ZV20130716
By Dan Levine
SAN FRANCISCO | Tue Jul 16, 2013 1:37pm EDT
(Reuters) - A diverse collection of groups, including a gun manufacturer and marijuana legalization advocates, sued the U.S. government on Tuesday, alleging that the National Security Agency conducts unlawful dragnet surveillance of telephone calls.
The lawsuit, filed in a Northern California federal court, follows disclosures about NSA surveillance programs by fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden.
The suit targets the NSA's "Associational Tracking Program," which collects phone information from all major American telecommunication companies, including time and duration of calls.
A U.S. Department of Justice spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.
The group of 18 plaintiffs - including a Unitarian church, an Islamic advocacy group and a gun rights organization - subscribe to Verizon and other phone carriers, the lawsuit said.
They are represented by the Electronics Frontier Foundation, data privacy advocates who have already been litigating for years against warrantless wiretapping under former President George W. Bush.
More at link
SAN FRANCISCO | Tue Jul 16, 2013 1:37pm EDT
(Reuters) - A diverse collection of groups, including a gun manufacturer and marijuana legalization advocates, sued the U.S. government on Tuesday, alleging that the National Security Agency conducts unlawful dragnet surveillance of telephone calls.
The lawsuit, filed in a Northern California federal court, follows disclosures about NSA surveillance programs by fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden.
The suit targets the NSA's "Associational Tracking Program," which collects phone information from all major American telecommunication companies, including time and duration of calls.
A U.S. Department of Justice spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.
The group of 18 plaintiffs - including a Unitarian church, an Islamic advocacy group and a gun rights organization - subscribe to Verizon and other phone carriers, the lawsuit said.
They are represented by the Electronics Frontier Foundation, data privacy advocates who have already been litigating for years against warrantless wiretapping under former President George W. Bush.
Looks like the backlash is beginning.
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