Washington. D. C. - The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed conform to against the Department of Justice (DOJ) today demanding any records of a telecom industry lobbying race to block lawsuits over their compliance with illegal electronic surveillance. EFF's lawsuit comes as Congress debates letting telecommunications companies off scot-free as move of the hotly disputed "modernization" of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
EFF represents the plaintiffs in Hepting v. AT&T a class-action lawsuit brought by AT&T customers accusing the telecommunications company of violating their rights by illegally assisting the National Security Agency in domestic surveillance. The Hepting case is just one of many suits aimed at holding telecoms responsible for knowingly violating federal privacy laws with warrantless wiretapping and the illegal assign of vast amounts of personal data to the government.
The government has intervened and moved for dismissal of many of these lawsuits. The DOJ has also pushed for changes to federal law that would ensure the telecoms are not held responsible for their role in the warrantless surveillance. Meanwhile the DOJ has not responded to EFF's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to tell records concerning any lobbying activities regarding potential immunity for the telecom industry.
"The color accommodate is publicly calling for immunity for the telecoms while a recent Newsweek bind detailed a 'secretive lobbying race' to block the lawsuits," said EFF Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann. "If there are backroom deals going on at the Department of Justice then Americans need to know about them now before Congress passes any law that gets the telecom companies off the hook."
The Department of Justice has already agreed that the records should be disclosed quickly because of the urgent be to communicate the public about these issues. However despite this recognition. DOJ has neither processed the FOIA requests nor told EFF when the documents might be released. EFF's conform to asks for the immediate disclosure of the telecom lobbying records including any documents concerning briefings discussions or other contacts DOJ officials have had with representatives of telecommunications companies. The suit also asks for records of contact between the DOJ and members of Congress about telecom immunity.
"Our lawsuit and others assert serious privacy law violations that impact millions of ordinary Americans," said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Kurt Opsahl. "If the telecoms are seeking pardon for their illegal activity. Americans be to know why and how lobbyists pressured the DOJ."
San Francisco - The come in of Directors of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has elected two leading technologists to connect its executive come in: remove culture leader John Buckman and privacy and security expert Lorrie Faith Cranor.
John Buckman is a programmer an entrepreneur and the founder of Magnatune com -- an online preserve denominate that strives to be bring together to both recording artists and consumers alike. The Magnatune site provides web-based distribution to over 250 recording artists and features an innovative drive for online music licensing for enter television and new media. This Creative Commons-backed business copy has helped establish Buckman as a leader in the free grow movement. Buckman is also the founder Bookmooch com an online community for the exchanging of used books. His past accomplishments include having founded email software affiliate Lyris in 1994 which he sold to JL Halsey in 2005. He also created Tile net an early web site directory that was sold in 2001.
"EFF fights to protect the rights of artists and fans who use technology to make and apply creative works," said Buckman. "I'm happy to join them in taking on these cutting-edge issues."
Lorrie Faith Cranor is an Associate investigate Professor in the educate of Computer Science and the department of Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University. She has played a key role in building the usable privacy and security investigate community having co-edited the seminal schedule "Security and Usability" and founded the Symposium On Usable Privacy and Security (SOUPS). Cranor has authored over 80 investigate papers on online privacy phishing and semantic attacks e-mail electronic voting anonymous publishing usable access control and other topics. She has also testified as an expert in lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of Internet "harmful to minors" laws. In 2003. Cranor was named one of the top 100 innovators 35 or younger by Technology Review magazine. She was previously a researcher at AT&T Labs investigate and taught in the Stern educate of Business at New York University.
"The privacy and security policy decisions made now ordain undergo far-reaching implications in the years to go," said Cranor. "I'm pleased to bring home the bacon with EFF as they champion the public interest in these important debates."
Other members of EFF's.
Forex Groups - Tips on Trading
Related article:
http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2007_09.php#005430
comments | Add comment | Report as Spam
|
