Fergie's Tech Blog

Markey Renews Calls for FCC Investigation Into Wiretapping

Jeffrey Silva writes on RCR Wireless News:

House telecom subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey (D-Mass.) repeated his call for the Federal Communications Commission to investigate widespread allegations of telecom privacy law violations by intelligence agencies that received cooperation from telecom carriers in anti-terrorist surveillance efforts.

“More than a year ago, I asked [FCC] Chairman [Kevin] Martin to exercise his authority as the head of the independent agency responsible for the enforcement of our nation’s communications laws to investigate the very serious reports that the intelligence agencies were using telephone companies to obtain phone records illegally,” said Markey in his latest letter to the FCC chief. “The continued reports of government intelligence agencies running roughshod over telecommunications privacy laws make it clear that the FCC should not wait to initiate this investigation.”

After Markey wrote Martin in March to ask him to launch an investigation into whether telecom privacy laws have been broken, the FCC chairman wrote Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to verify that the agency could not conduct such a probe because it would violate federal laws governing disclosure of state secrets. Gonzales, who recently announced his resignation, has yet to respond to Martin.

posted by Fergie @ 9/12/2007 01:13:00 PM