FBI admits to Protecting spying Telecoms from Lawsuits

[kpete]

The American Civil Liberties Union remained suspicious that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was doing things not provided for under the law (a law they hold is itself unconstitutional). So they sent in a Freedom of Information request and got back piles of paper with black lines through a lot of the text.

The piles of paper did reveal that the ACLU’s suspicions were correct, and that the law wasn’t being followed in many instances.

But it also revealed that some US telecom companies still seem to be spilling our information to the government on request, without a warrant. So the ACLU wrote in asking that the black lines be removed and the identity of the telecom companies involved be revealed.

Amazingly, the FBI answered the question straightforwardly. The official who wrote the reply thinks that the FBI works for the corporations, and not for the people or the Constitution.

http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/fbi-if-we-told-you-you-might-sue-1 ‘In this case, the FBI withheld the identities of the electronic communication service providers that have provided information, or are listed as potentially required to provide information, to the FBI as part of its national security and criminal investigations under authority granted by Section 702 of the FAA. Exemption (b)(4)-1, cited in conjunction with (b)(7)(D)-1, has been asserted because disclosure of the identities of electronic communication service providers would cause substantial harm to their competitive position. Specifically, these businesses would be substantially harmed if their customers knew that they were furnishing information to the FBI. The stigma of working with the FBI would cause customers to cancel the companies services and file civil actions to prevent further disclosure of subscriber information.’

more:
http://www.juancole.com/2011/05/fbi-admits-it-is-protecting-spying-telecoms-from-lawsuits.html

[jtrockville]

1. For the record: QWEST refused to comply, and was retaliated against

...snip...

Qwest shareholders and retirees blamed Nacchio for their financial losses, however, it is now clear that the NSA and the Bush administration targeted Qwest for retribution after its top boss refused to cooperate in the illegal domestic wiretap programs of the NSA and FBI.

...snip...
http://www.prisonplanet.com/nsa-threatened-qwest-ceo-with-repercussions-if-he-didn%E2%80%99t-cut-a-surveillance-deal.html

[TimLighter]

2. Once again explaining why Obama is working to extend Director

Mueller for 2 years past his expiration date.

[EFerrari]

7. Yes. n/t

[Leopolds Ghost]

3. Dont you know we're not alowed to talk about this issue? Every educated dem thinks its pure fantasy!

They all say that (a) the notion that the telcos are doing this is conspiracy-hat bullshit; and (b) the government has good reason for allowing them to do it, and they have nothing to hide so why should YOU! LOL!

[Hubert Flottz]

4. This is why the neocon installed director needs replaced.

[EFerrari]

8. Replaced? Obama wants him to stay on for two more years

when his term ends.

[Octafish]

5. Whatever happened to the Constitution, anyway?

You may remember, that scrap of paper thing?

[FiveGoodMen]

11. Two things: 1) Dubya, 2) Obama

[JonLP24]

6. K&R

Thank god for the ACLU.

[FiveGoodMen]

13. And yet they filed an Amicus brief on the side of Citizens United

[gratuitous]

9. It's almost as if all this lawlessness were all of a piece

But that can't possibly be the case! We're hopin'! And changin'! You can't expect things to happen differently overnight. Or even in two years, apparently.

[russspeakeasy]

14. My guess is that in 8 years things will not have changed much.

A repug will be elected after obama's second term and HE will
spend his 8 years tearing down any good that was done for the
people.. My kids are in their 40's; I don't envy them.

[indepat]

10. Government of, by, and for the corporations. Surely all must notice this pungent smell of

fascism? :patriot:

[jp11]

12. I want my country back from the corporations, politicians and the government agencies

who do their bidding.

[RagAss]

15. Reminds me of the old George Carlin routine...

Explaining how he answered the phone back in the 60's....."Fuck Hoover, Hello"

[Kaleko]

16. K & R

[L. Coyote]

17. I'm old enough to remember what we once thought was democracy, but even that

is in doubt! Is democracy just a facade?

In a democracy, this would not be happening.
In a democracy, power does not trump the law.
In a democracy, institutions enforce laws.