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AT&T Seeks to Hide Spy Docs
UltimaGuy writes to mention a Wired article about some AT&T documents that have gone off the farm. An ex-employee provided some information to the EFF, to assist in their wiretapping case against the company. Ma Bell is now arguing the files are confidential, and shouldn't be used in a court case. From the article: "The documents, which the EFF filed under a temporary seal last Wednesday, purportedly detail how AT&T diverts internet traffic to the National Security Agency via a secret room in San Francisco and allege that such rooms exist in other AT&T switching centers."
If a civilian has the docs, they can go after him, but there's no fourth amendment protections here. It'd take somebody in the administration classifying them to make them officially restricted.
Just cause AT&T doesn't want them out there doesn't mean squat.
You may recall that Philip Zimmermann was the subject of a criminal investigation over ten years ago over a little asymmetric key encryption program he wrote and made available online.
Recently, he has worked to give the world a very simple program that will encrypt voice communications for any SIP VoIP. It's called Zfone and this news about AT&T working with the NSA covertly is all the more reason you should use it.
I believe Slashdot covered Zfone's release a month ago.
As an American, I value my anonymity and ability to communicate without concern of eaves dropping very highly. I hope to see some VoIP services possibly use Zfone or some level of encryption as a default out of the box feature in the future. If you're concerned for your privacy, read up on Zfone and find out how easy it is to use!
My work here is dung.
I just wonder how long it will be before Mark Klein is repaid for his heroic and patriotic act with legal action from AT&T, a la Stephen Heller / Diebold.
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The EFF declined to comment on the filing, while AT&T did not return a call seeking comment.
The call was placed in a queue while all available agents were attending to other customers.
-Eric
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
In papers filed late Monday, AT&T argued that confidential technical documents provided by an ex-AT&T technician to the Electronic Frontier Foundation shouldn't be used as evidence in the case and should be returned.
Big whoop. Copy the documents and hand them back to AT&T. What's the problem? Now that the genie is out of the secret room, so to speak, how does AT&T think this is going to help? They've just received a pretty severe black eye, though most of the public really doesn't know the details, despite the publicity. If I were AT&T, I'd maintain a low profile -- raising a fuss only makes more people get interested in what's in the documents.
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And all of this in "The land of the Free". Makes you wonder.
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The submitter didn't point out that if AT&T is claiming the documents are trade secrets, that means they're accurate. Made-up documents wouldn't be trade secrets.
In other words, AT&T has just admitted that they are spying on you.
*waves hand* "These are not the documents you are looking for."
In addition, if this surveillence operation is true, then he may be harming national security
No, the surveillence operation itself is harming national security. I am America, you are America. The government isn't supposed to be America, "We, the people" are supposed to be America.
Spy on me, you make me insecure. MY security from the government itself is national security.
I'd rather have Bin Laden kill half of Congress than give up my 4th amendment rights. Without our (now nearly worthless) Constitution, this isn't America.
I'm starting to worry that America died on 9/11. America's bravery sure died, and the America I used to know died.
Next November, please don't waste your vote on terrorists like the Republicans and Democrats -- vote third party!
Echelon. I'm surprised no one has mentioned so far.
More info, for those who has never heard of it before:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON
All rites reversed 2010
Ma Bell is now arguing the files are confidential, and shouldn't be used in a court case.
I feel for AT&T, I really do. I mean, how would I feel if someone decided to use all those confidential dead hookers in my personal, private basement as some sort of "evidence" in some "trial?" I'd be shocked, I tell you. Shocked.
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It's funny how people who cowardly value the illusion of safety over the reality of freedom will whore themselves out to Big Brother. "Take my freedoms!" they shout. "Take my rights! Take my liberties! Only make me feel a bit more secure, a bit more safe from the horrible bogeymen you've so kindly invented for me!" It makes me sick. Are you what the Founding Fathers fought for? Benjamin Franklin decried those who'd sacrifice their freedom for the illusion of security- and now one of the biggest voting blocs in the nation is the "Please, take my rights away and make me feel safe from this inflated threat!" You, sir, make me sick.
If only at&t had fully deployed an email and document server which used the Trusted Platform Module to help "protect" the confidentiality of their documents, then they wouldn't have this little problem of the public finding out they're being "protected" by the nsa
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Yes and no.... In a perfect world, yes -- it would help fight terrorism; even if the terrorists are using encryption there is meta-data there to be mined.... when you cross-reference the data begin and end points you can still get the jist of what may be going on; do so with *ALL* traffic on the 'net and you can certainly learn something useful.
On the other hand, it would have been clear to a child that Osama and friends were going to take over commerical jets for nefarious deeds long before 9-11 if they'd had access to all the same information that was circulating in the 'intelligence community'. As you say, the problem was (in-part) the disability to tie all that information into a cohesive report that the top-brass would listen and react to in time to make a difference.
Gathering more information is useless if it's not properly filtered and disseminated.
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. - Dr. Seuss
I vaguely recall a case in which an inventor was denied the right to pursue a patent infringement case based upon the grounds of government security concerns. Unfortunately, I cannot recall the specific circumstances of the case, perhaps someone else can help me clarify. Nevertheless...
If the government decides that this case threatens national security this case will never make it to the deposition stage...much less a trial hearing. AT&T merely has to seek intervention from the government on their behalf. With the corroboration of the government this case will get squelched in no time flat. And, in theory, all that should required is the statement that this technology was developed under contract for the US government. At this point such a statement should have little damning effect as our executive as effectively admitted outright to extra-judicial wiretapping.
On a slightly different note, am I the only one who is having flashbacks of the Echelon and FBI Carnivore projects?
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Sadly, the American public has become too apathetic to take any significant action on this or other questionable matters. Regardless of which side of the political fence you fall on there has been enough questionable activity by our government leaders as individuals or a collective that the outcry should have been louder than it has been. I just don't think people care anymore, or they believe that their voice won't be heard.
The best that can be hoped for is that people will flip-off the AT&T building as they go on paying their phone bills.
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The threat to American citizens is massively overstated- you are far, far more likely to die in an accident, of a disease, or hell, even of a drug overdose than in a terrorist attack. Of all the potential causes of death in this country, terrorist strike is waaaaaay in the back. You're allowing yourself to be manipulated into being afraid, and allowing them to use your fear to destroy the liberties that make America great. Your fear is contemptible- your capitulation is disgusting.
If ATT's not doing anything wrong, what have they got to hide?
If an employee knows that his company is committing an illegal act, then it is his or her prerogative to alert the public and the judicial system; this is what is known as the "whistleblower" status. Whether or not the documents involved are confidential has absolutely no bearing.
The only shady part is whether or not the Patriot Act or other rights-inhibiting measures can cover AT&T's ass, or the asses of the agencies involved. If the Patriot Act had not been passed, believe me, AT&T would be in a world of shit.
Ex nihilo nihil fit.
Privacy may be a joke in the sense that it is technically difficult to acheive, but I see this case as part of a serious power struggle within our government,
one that could lead to calls for the impeachment of the president.
The president has asserted
1) that he can ignore clearly written laws.
2) that he has no duty to inform congress.
3) that no judicial review is possible.
4) that his authority for all this comes from an emergency - terrorism -
that will probably exist for ever.
Power without accountability, forever. Is that something worth fighting against?
Don't mess with The Phone Company. Piss them off and you'll be using two tin cans and a piece of string.