Court Orders Dismissal of US Wiretapping Lawsuit

jcatcw writes with a link to a ComputerWorld article about the dismissal of a case against the NSA over the wiretapping program revealed last year. The case was brought by the ACLU. A three-judge panel in the Sixth Circuit has sent the case back down to District court for ultimate dismissal. "The appeals court decision leaves opponents of the NSA program in a difficult position, said Jim Dempsey, policy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, a civil liberties group that has opposed the program. The appeals court ruled that the plaintiffs could not sue because they can't prove they were affected by the program, and at the same time, ruled that details about the program, including who was targeted, are state secrets."

Comments

Re:Tough ground

[The Angry Mick]

The only way to prove you were affected is to be affected. The fact you were affected you can't prove even when you are affected because the fact that you were is to remain a state secret.

Ok . . my head just exploded.

Re:Tough ground

[Anonymous Coward]

Ok . . my head just exploded. Clean up in thread 199255. And bring a bucket. It's another logic lobotomy.

Re:Our era's reverse catch 22.

[goombah99]

The book had a lot more instances of catch-22

1) You could only "see" Major Major Major when he was not in. If he was in you could not see him, until later, when he was out.

2) The italian police were not permitted to tell those they arrested what they had been charged with.

Kid's these days! How many slashdotters don't know what Catch-22 is?

Let me guess

[WindBourne]

you are one of those who have a Bush/Cheney bumper sticker next to freedom first?

Re:Fir Pos?

[Lockejaw]

Actually, I've heard "None of the Above" is a pretty popular choice in America these days. Unfortunately, even when over half the people choose None of the Above, he never shows up to take office, and the runner-up wins.

I give up

[mdsolar]

Now, after my party hangs up, I just blow my whistle into the phone really hard. At least I get the satisfaction of hearing them scream.

Re:I give up

[TheRaven64]

Don't do that. Transmit white noise down the line for 30 seconds. Let them devote some serious computer power trying to decrypt it. Oh, and buy shares in whoever sells supercomputers to the NSA if you think you can persuade enough people to do it.