Fed Court Grants Legal Immunity to Telecoms in Wiretapping Case

Fed Court Grants Legal Immunity to Telecoms in Wiretapping Case

news.yahoo.com

A federal appeals court has ruled as constitutional a law giving telecommunications companies legal immunity for helping the government with its email and telephone eavesdropping program.

Thursday’s unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court decision regarding the 2008 law.

The appeal concerned a case that consolidated 33 different lawsuits filed against various telecom companies, including AT&T, Sprint Nextel, Verizon Communications Inc. and BellSouth Corp. on behalf of these companies’ customers.

(visit the link for the full news article)

The march towards totalitarian dictatorship is keeping a brisk pace for the new year it would seem. The 4th amendment, and 5th amendment have been shredded.

The president can now "legally" execute american citizens, or hold them indefinately without charge, and your private life is no longer so private.

I am honestly starting to worry about how much farther the US can slide.

news.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

What lies beneath the media fed to the public? What is really going on that we are not allowed to see?

Wow, on new year's eve! I guess we know what they have in store for us in 2012. Any court that grants any group legal immunity for any reason is unjust and criminal.

“It emphasized that electronic intelligence gathering depends in great part on cooperation from private companies … and that if litigation were allowed to proceed against persons allegedly assisting in such activities, `the private sector might be unwilling to cooperate with lawful government requests in the future,’” Judge M. Margaret McKeown said.

Excuse me Judge McKeown, I believe that is the definition of fascism, private interests and government working towards the benefit of the state for the purposes of military activity.

Originally posted by Joki42
What lies beneath the media fed to the public? What is really going on that we are not allowed to see?

on one hand this has to do with monitoring possible terrorists communications, this is what it was intended for.
On the other hand the very same technology shall tag the average file-sharing user as a 'terrorist' for those companies holding the rights for distributing entertainment of whatever sort.

there is nothing hidden here, we can see it all, but its complicated to draw a conplete picture on this.

reply to post by filosophia


It's actually starting to make me physically ill.
The spectre of a facsist dictatorship is upon us, it just happen to be wearing silk gloves when handling this nation's people.

I continually ask myself "When is enough, enough?", but it seems that true greed knows only hunger, not satisfaction.

Originally posted by filosophia
Wow, on new year's eve! I guess we know what they have in store for us in 2012. Any court that grants any group legal immunity for any reason is unjust and criminal.

depends on the groups legitimation.
under no circumstances this group shall be able to act without something similar as a search warrant, being ordered by a judge, cause this is the way it should be.

the real danger here is, that non-gov organisations may be granted the right to ask ISP's directly without calling the executive branch presenting evidence that a crime took place.

this would hollow out a fundamental right in this land

Originally posted by TMJ1972
this would hollow out a fundamental right in this land

I agree with what you said except for this part here on the end...this already has happened, just like the passage of the NDAA.

They are doing everything in their power to trample on the people of this country, and hollow out just about all of our inalienable rights.

reply to post by TMJ1972


If it is wiretapping the warrant is secret, otherwise the secret surveillance is not so secret if you see the warrant because then you would know they are spying on you, and a secret warrant is unconstitutional because it goes against the bill of rights which guarantees that a search warrant describe the place to be searched and the thing to be found. Wiretapping is grossly unconstitutional because there is no solid object to be confiscated.

reply to post by Shark_Feeder


Fascism prevails.

Thank you 9th circuit. As the new year approaches for a second I thought it would be better than the last.. then I remembered the combined power of Corporate and Governing power will prevail in their molestation of our civil liberties.

reply to post by Rockpuck


Remember "Evil only prevails while good men(and women ) do nothing."

There is a breaking point for the people of this nation. The question is "Where is it?"

what I read was THE TELECOM COMPANIES ARE THE GOVERNMENT AND WE WILL DO WHAT WE WANT, BUY WHO WE WANT, SELL WHO WE WANT AND CONTROL WHAT WE WANT.

reply to post by Shark_Feeder

Not all that surprising, considering the rulings handed down by the 9th
in the last 15 or 20 years. I believe even Jon Turley had publicly pro-
claimed on Olbermann more than once these guys are "... out of control."
I think we can blame more than the water by now, there's a trend here.
Is Geritol habit forming? Just wondering...

Originally posted by filosophia
Wow, on new year's eve! I guess we know what they have in store for us in 2012. Any court that grants any group legal immunity for any reason is unjust and criminal.

I agree, I am also against legal immunity for whistleblowers aren't you?

Originally posted by Joki42
What lies beneath the media fed to the public? What is really going on that we are not allowed to see?

I would say this gives companies legal rights to:

1) Assist in sting operations.

2) Assist in bait & switch operations

3) Identify possible targets

4) Perhaps accept payment for services in the above operations.

Some may actually find ways to compete with other companies.

Originally posted by OccamsRazor04

Originally posted by filosophia
Wow, on new year's eve! I guess we know what they have in store for us in 2012. Any court that grants any group legal immunity for any reason is unjust and criminal.

I agree, I am also against legal immunity for whistleblowers aren't you?

I look forward to you two arguing to the court hat it is unjust and criminal - that should be good for a laugh...