Verizon: No warrant, no problem

LoyaltyisaCurse · October 16th, 2007, 08:40 PM

By: Steve Benen @ 5:22 AM - PDT

It’s an awfully good time to debate telecom immunity, isn’t it?

Verizon Communications, the nation’s second-largest telecom company, told congressional investigators that it has provided customers’ telephone records to federal authorities in emergency cases without court orders hundreds of times since 2005. […]

Verizon also disclosed that the FBI, using administrative subpoenas, sought information identifying not just a person making a call, but all the people that customer called, as well as the people those people called. Verizon does not keep data on this “two-generation community of interest” for customers, but the request highlights the broad reach of the government’s quest for data.

From January 2005 to September 2007, Verizon provided data to federal authorities on an emergency basis 720 times, it said in the letter. The records included Internet protocol addresses as well as phone data…. Verizon and AT&T said it was not their role to second-guess the legitimacy of emergency government requests.

That’s it? That’s the excuse? How about second-guessing the legitimacy of the law?

lvgentleman · October 21st, 2007, 03:02 AM

If the FBI did it several times, sparingly, I could understand the telecom's position on this, government busts in and states "We need this guy's phone number NOW!" (a la Jack Bauer) - the telecoms should comply - though insist on a retroactive court order to back up the request (FISA Courts can do this). After about 3 times, the telecoms should have said no. That they didn't troubles me greatly.

The government will not change their ways until these activities are brought out into the light of day, and the people demand that they stop. Secrecy is their strongest shield, public oversight is our greatest weapon.