Court Rules That Mass Surveillance of Americans is Immune From Judicial Review

Court Rules That Mass Surveillance of Americans is Immune From Judicial Review

www.eff.org

A federal judge has dismissed Jewel v. NSA, a case from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on behalf of AT&T customers challenging the National Security Agency's mass surveillance of millions of ordinary Americans' phone calls and emails.

"This ruling robs innocent telecom customers of their privacy rights without due process of law. Setting limits on Executive power is one of the most important elements of America's system of government, and judicial oversight is a critical part of tha

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"With new revelations of illegal spying being reported practically every other week -- just this week, we learned that the FBI has been unlawfully obtaining Americans' phone records using Post-It notes rather than proper legal process -- the need for judicial oversight when it comes to government surveillance has never been clearer."

How can America keep criticizing North Korea when we are becoming so close to them day by day?

I don't know i'm confused I guess... I thought it was terroists that hated us for our freedoms????

I thought it was terroists trying to change our way of life.

Oh shoot...... What if it is????????????

www.eff.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

Clearly the Supreme Court as of yesterday's ruling has handed America to the Corporations and the Government and favors Corporate and Government Rule at the expense of the citizens.

There are no longer any independent branches of government left and no longer any checks and balances.

The people only have two choices left to them, submit to everything the corporations and government desire, or rebel and revolt against both.

Sadly either way the people are likely still screwed, submit to a slow decay and robbery of what little liberties, freedom and dignity we have left, or invite a swift and brutal government response of them being taken away all at once in a failed revolt.

We need a massive government and corporate overhaul and it remains to be seen if the current citizens of America have the fortitude, and principles and discipline that previous ones have shown in times of such dire threat and crisis.

reply to post by ModernAcademia


The American people are the Dumbest downed people on the globe.

They actually believe the Government cares for their lives, and would do them
no harm.

You can get a American to do anything , By waving a Flag , and playing a

Patriot Song, it's sad really.

FBI, Telecoms Teamed to Breach Wiretap Laws

But in a surprise buried at the end of the 289-page report, the inspector general also reveals that the Obama administration issued a secret rule almost two weeks ago saying it was legal for the FBI to have skirted federal privacy protections.
www.wired.com...

The companies then set up remote terminals inside the FBI’s offices, staffing them with telecom employees who quickly became friendly with the agents requesting phone records. The telecom employees had FBI e-mail addresses, access to shared drives and invitations to happy hours, according to the report.

Shared drives AND happy hour?
Wow, what more can you ask for?

Shared Drives People... DID YOU READ THAT?

What’s more, the report noted that the cozy relationship between the bureau and the telecoms made it hard to differentiate between the FBI and the nation’s phone companies.

Even that became too much. Agents would request “sneak peeks,” where they’d ask if it was worth their time to file a request on a given phone number, the inspector general noted. The telecom agents complied. Soon it graduated to numbers on Post-it notes, in e-mails or just oral requests.

There’s no telling how many of those there were, but the audit estimates more than 3,500 off-the-book requests from 2003 to 2007.

www.wired.com...

It's just crazy man
Maybe it's time for everyone to move to red china!

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


Agreed. Don't be surprised if we start seeing more rulings like this. There's no longer any pretext to support the citizen now that corporations have been given the public reigns to control the government.

Isn't it wonderful, now that the corporations can openly run the government, they can in effect spy on every citizen in the US.

This is scary in that the court is ruling that there is no petition for regress as to governments transgressions against the peoples rights.

[edit on 22-1-2010 by Barkster]

reply to post by Avenginggecko



1984 is finally here. Just a little late.

The companies then set up remote terminals inside the FBI’s offices, staffing them with telecom employees who quickly became friendly with the agents requesting phone records. The telecom employees had FBI e-mail addresses, access to shared drives and invitations to happy hours, according to the report.

I'm an IT professional. Where do I sign up for that?!?

Oh well. Buy stock in KY you'll be buying alot in the years to come.

Originally posted by ModernAcademia

I don't know i'm confused I guess... I thought it was terroists that hated us for our freedoms????

I've posted this before, but it seems more apt than ever ...



Nothing is sacred anymore!

reply to post by ModernAcademia


To believe that actually three weeks ago I had a debate with a friend on how the government is been doing illegal surveillance on Americans, this very intelligent person told me that is was nonsense, he even made fun of what I was telling him, the millions of dollars that has been use to fund government surveillance.

I can not wait to see him now to look at him in his face and say "I told you so" now who look dumb now.



We more and more are becoming nothing but slaves no to an elected government but a corporate run one.



[edit on 22-1-2010 by marg6043]

The illusion of privacy is no longer necessary. That is what should scare you.

Unless you are targeted for surveillance you have nothing to fear.

Do nothing that will threaten them and you will be okay.

Your lives and EVERYTHING you do is an open and adjustable book for them.

I will admit that this sad testimony to checks and balances scares me. For many, this action only confirms what many have suspected over the past few years of strange politics. With no one to speak for and or to protect the interests of the citizens, this actions shows just how important it is to have ethical and moral representatives instead of corrupt political cronies that pretend to speak for the rights of all Americans.

We must begin to clearly see that the biggest element of our problem in America is the corruption and the abuse of power and position. We must begin to use the technology and the existing intelligence agencies to address corruption and everyone associated with it. We must begin a Manhattan type project where the only mission is to use our computer technology and collaborative systems to find those that are stealing billions in tax payer dollars and bring them to justice for their crimes.

Cleaning up corruption is one thing, keeping it from contaminating the next decent politician with billion dollar bribes, power and authority over overs should not be a public concern if a system of ethical and moral rules were in place and monitored on a 24/7 basis as a condition of federal employee status.

We must put those leaders that manage the affairs of our nation on a 24/7 surveillance and the first time we find them being corrupt, treasonous or both, we bring them to justice in a public way. Require the Justice Dept. to prosecute and to incarcerate them for their crimes. Afterward, the only job these special vampires of society should ever be afforded is ditch digger or road kill cleanup crew. Locate and identify all hidden assets and recover the billions and trillions in stolen tax dollars currently hidden in Swiss Bank accounts. We have a right to take back what they stole from all of us.

Not until someone takes corruption seriously will anything change. With anything new these days, it will always start out fresh and new and in time it will become what we have now, corrupt and incapable of functioning. Corruption is a cancer that is killing America and we must choose to cut out the cancer for good or risk a return to same ills that face us today.

If we fight to regain our way of life, we must also commit to a return to decency, morality, ethical and actions of value to the nation as a whole. The corporations must be prevented from using their wealth to use wealth to corrupt our elected officials. This last point goes hand in hand with corruption and that means we must seek to control those with so much money they feel they can buy anyone, kill anyone and avoid accountability for their actions. Because that is what got us here today, corruption and greed at any cost.

We know the solution, we just have to have the will to use it before we find ourselves living in a nation gone insane with despots, gangsters and starving Americans fighting over control of what food resources remain while the nation goes to war with itself to regain what has been lost by those that betrayed the American public.

reply to post by Walkswithfish


Do you think that posting on a site like this could get you targeted for surveillance.Not that I care anyway I want them to know how I feel. I refuse to live in a police state.

Time to make like the founding fathers and found a new country some place else.

Perhaps I am being defeatist and am part of the problem but I just do not think our government can be turned around, that our rights can be restored. I think the effort that it would take in time and money would be better spent on building up the idea and construction of sea steads.

Getting our rights back through the courts is clearly a lost battle, getting our rights back through massive protests seems to be a lost cause as most don't seem to care, and getting our rights back through violent revolution is just not worth it. I think a violent revolution would result in the loss of countless lives, time, and money, and still not succeed.

As sad as it is, I think building sea steads and starting one's own country is more practical, more doable, than actually reforming this one.


Hopefully sea steading will turn out to be a viable idea and restore individual liberty to countless humans throughout the world.

You'll never guess which country (along with Russia, China, North Korea and the UK in black) is already considered an "endemic surveillance society":

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0c8894e7af5c.jpg[/atsimg]
Blue = "Consistently upholds human rights standards" (none)
Green = "Significant protections and safeguards" (none)
Lime green = "Adequate safeguards against abuse" (I think that's Greece)
Yellow = "Some safeguards but weakened protections"
Red = "Systemic failure to uphold safeguards"
Pink = "Extensive surveillance societies"
Black = "Endemic surveillance societies"


[edit on 1/22/2010 by GoldenFleece]

reply to post by ModernAcademia


looks like america is heading down the same path as britain. no privacy all security.

reply to post by GoldenFleece


India is not a surveillance society lol
If you say certain keywords your phone call is monitored and all phone calls to pakistan whether incoming or outgoing are recorded or monitored.

That's about it

reply to post by Avenginggecko

Isn't it wonderful, now that the corporations can openly run the government, they can in effect spy on every citizen in the US.

They will now control all tax money...our ENTIRE tax system...the IRS...EVERYTHING.

They will control restrictions against their OWN products that may be harmful to us. THIS IS DISASTER.

This CANNOT stand.

Our entire country...and all of us.....hangs in the balance.

reply to post by David9176


Here's a scary thought.....

Do they now control the Military? FBI? Who is protecting who?

It's a brave new world; welcome to the monkey house.