Fergie's Tech Blog

Attorneys Lock Horns in NSA Wiretapping Case

Henry Weinstein writes in The Los Angeles Times:

A Justice Department attorney sparred with lawyers for five states in federal court here [San Francisco] Thursday over the Bush administration's attempt to block states from investigating whether phone companies illegally shared customer information with the National Security Agency.

The case stems from a newspaper report published last year alleging that AT&T and Verizon had cooperated with the government on its Terrorist Surveillance Program. That program has spawned several major court cases because of allegations that the U.S. engaged in secret wiretapping of individuals without seeking warrants.

Last year, five states — Connecticut, Maine, Missouri, New Jersey and Vermont — asked the telephone companies whether they had turned over customer records to the NSA, contending that doing so might have violated state privacy laws.

Although the requests were not identical, they all generated concern in the government, which has taken the position that any revelations about the wiretapping program could endanger national security.

posted by Fergie @ 6/22/2007 06:03:00 AM