Government May Help Bells Defend Against Wiretap Suits

Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "As lawsuits mount against phone companies from plaintiffs who allege their call records were handed over to the National Security Agency illegally, the companies' defense may get help from the U.S. government, the Wall Street Journal reports. From the article: 'The plaintiffs, who accuse Bell phone companies of privacy violations and are seeking billions of dollars in damages, would need to delve into the depths of the NSA's surveillance program to make their cases. But the government considers such information top secret, and legal experts expect the Bush administration to assert the "state secrets" privilege in the 20 or more lawsuits filed by privacy advocates in recent weeks. If judges accept the claim, as has been the case in nearly every instance in which it has been asserted since the early 1950s, the suits will dissolve.'"

Comments

Great

[l5rfanboy]

I'm sure it's obvious to most any /.'er, but isn't this one of the largest (and longest-running) examples of why the lack of transparency in our government is a bad thing? "We're suing you for helping the government!" "No you can't, your prosecution relies on State Secrets." I have the feeling this type of situation is going to becoming more and more prevalent in the upcoming years.

Re:Still Think the US isn't Headed for Fascism?

[geoffspear]

The only time an attack by a foreign power was ever carried out on U.S. soil was Pearl Harbour.

While I agree with your sentiment in the rest of your post, your grasp of history leaves a lot to be desired.

Unless you consider the War of 1812 to be a continuation of the Revolutionary War and hold the opinion that the US was still British territory until the Treaty of Ghent, which not even the British at the time would have asserted.

Suits will dissolve?

[mobby_6kl]

And people related to them disappear?

Re:Uncle Sam will get to collect all he wants.

[blcamp]

Have you ever joined (or previously served) the military, Mr. Potty-Mouth?

Re:Uncle Sam will get to collect all he wants.

[blcamp]

I never said I was willing to give up either my own, nor anyone else's constitutional rights.

All I said (from the very beginning) was that our calls are being monitored anyway, and there isn't much that will be done about it.

Now all you loonies come out of the woodwork thinking I support that. All I am saying is you all are wasting your time fighting it, because the lawsuits will be put down by the government.

This is war. Crazy things happen in a war, like it or not, and this is one of them.

And to call me a coward? I already mentioned that I would be willing to fight myself - I AM TOO OLD TO DO SO. (Go back and read a previous post I wrote.)

It's pretty hypocritical to tell me I am a coward to not sign up for the military WHEN I AM NOT ALLOWED TO at this time, and if any of you have not done so yourself. Which is why I asked the question. And I am still waiting for an answer.

And it's also very interesting that everyone here just assumes I think it's cool what the government's doing. I NEVER SAID I AGREED WITH IT. All I ever said is that they should do whatever they need to do to win a war. Do I like it? Hell no. But it needs to be done.

Once we win, we go back to a peacetime mode, and you can damn well bet I will be right there saying stay out of my business along with every one else.