Telecoms let NSA spy on calls (AT&T, MCI and Sprint)

[chat_noir]

The National Security Agency has secured the cooperation of large telecommunications companies, including AT&T, MCI and Sprint, in its efforts to eavesdrop without warrants on international calls by suspected terrorists, according to seven telecommunications executives.

The executives asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the program. AT&T, MCI and Sprint had no official comment.

The Senate Judiciary Committee begins hearings today on the government's program of monitoring international calls and e-mails of a domestic target without first obtaining court orders. At issue: whether the surveillance is legal, as President Bush insists, or an illegal intrusion into the lives of Americans, as lawsuits by civil libertarians contend. (Related: Committee chief says program violates law)

In domestic investigations, phone companies routinely require court orders before cooperating.

SNIP

The New York Times, which disclosed the clandestine operation in December, previously reported that telecommunications companies have been cooperating with the government, but it did not name the companies involved. (Related: Bush says NSA program is legal)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-05-nsa-telecoms_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA

[chat_noir]

1. Related: Some companies helped the NSA, but which?

Some companies helped the NSA, but which?

Even after the recent scrutiny of the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance project approved by President Bush, an intriguing question remains unanswered: Which corporations cooperated with the spy agency?

Some reports have identified executives at "major telecommunications companies" who chose to open their networks to the NSA. Because it may be illegal to divulge customer communications, though, not one has chosen to make its cooperation public.

Under federal law, any person or company who helps someone "intercept any wire, oral, or electronic communication"--unless specifically authorized by law--could face criminal charges. Even if cooperation is found to be legal, however, it could be embarrassing to acknowledge opening up customers' communications to a spy agency.

A survey by CNET News.com has identified 15 large telecommunications and Internet companies that are willing to say that they have not participated in the NSA program, which intercepts e-mail and telephone calls without a judge's approval.

http://news.com.com/Some+companies+helped+the+NSA,+but+who/2100-1028_3-6035305.html

[Kagemusha]

2. Um, in all seriousness, if the NSA tells them the Prez says it's legal,

and then tells them that if they don't cooperate they're taking sides against the US government and taking up the side of Al Qaeda, how are they going to refuse? Not out of any sinister intent, but out of being bamboozled and threatened?

[atreides1]

5. But

The companies can still be sued for violating federal law, especially if the requests came without warrants.

So unless these telecommunications companies have a "Get Out Of Jail Free Card", this might end up costing them a lot of money!!!!

[Kagemusha]

6. They probably do have such a card.

And at any rate it is stupid to squeeze money out of them for an action effectively ordered for national security purposes during a state of armed conflict.

[magellan]

3. Okay, we have Sprint local service

I'm so infuriated to learn Sprint allowed this without a warrant I want to get rid of them. We've been wanting to switch to Vonage but we need our fax line and VOIP doesn't handle faxes consistently. (And I'd hate to switch and just hope it will work.) We fax a lot, every day.

Any suggestions?

[Mithras61]

7. I've been thinking about changing my sign-off to...

"Remember what Al Qaeda did" so it'll raise a big red flag and still lead them no where. Maybe if everyone did that, it would make them realize how stupid their methods are (but I doubt it).

[pinniped]

4. MCI are a bunch of scamming scumbags.

.

[BrewerJohn]

8. Time to vote with our dollars!

I've always been averse to changing long-distance providers, just on the
"too much trouble" principle, but if AT&T is playing along on this, I'm gone.

As it happens, my local phone service provider is on the CNET list of companies
that are not cooperating with NSA (see downthread). I'm off to study the
long-distance plans they offer.