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from: FindLaw

Even if You Have Nothing to Hide, Government Surveillance Threatens Your Freedom

October 19, 2007
By John W. Dean

“I’ve got nothing to hide, so electronic surveillance doesn’t bother me. To the contrary, I’m delighted that the Bush Administration is monitoring calls and electronic traffic on a massive scale, because catching terrorists is far more important that worrying about the government’s listening to my phone calls, or reading my emails.” So the argument goes. It is a powerful one that has seduced too many people.

from: Washington Post

Immunity for Telecoms May Set Bad Precedent, Legal Scholars Say

“The unfortunate reality is that once you’ve done it, once you immunize interrogators or phone companies, then it’s easy to do it again in another context.” Retired Rear Adm. John Huston, Franklin Pierce Law Center

from: Wired

Call for Reader Help: Where Does Your Senator Stand on Spying Immunity?

By Ryan Singel
October 16, 2007

Two key Senate committees are working on introducing a measure reworking what powers the government has to wiretap communications transiting phone and internet switches, and the administration and the nation's telecoms are pushing for immunity from lawsuits alleging the companies massively violated the nation's privacy laws by aiding the government's secret spying programs.

from: Broadband Reports

Senator Dodd Fights Telco Wiretap Suit Immunity
And how much does getting immunity from the law cost these days, anyway?

10:00AM Friday Oct 19 2007 by Karl

As we mentioned yesterday, an incredibly well-lobbied Congress has decided to give AT&T and Verizon retroactive immunity for their roles in handing over customer data to the NSA without a court order. The proposed deal would derail cases like the EFF's against AT&T, who has been accused of building entire rooms tasked with shoveling customer voice and Internet data (from multiple carriers) to Uncle Sam without any kind of judicial oversight.

from: Gresham Outlook

Community television weakened by FCC

By Rob Brading
Oct 5, 2007

When Congress didn’t enact telecommunications legislation in late 2006, local governments and advocates of media that’s less concentrated, more diverse and more local breathed a sigh of relief. Less than a year later, those same folks are wondering if they should have paid more heed to the old adage about being careful what you wish for.

from: CNET

Phone carriers quiet on U.S. surveillance program

By Reuters
Published: October 15, 2007, 5:27 PM PDT

Major U.S. telephone carriers refused to answer questions from the Democratic-led Congress about their possible participation in President Bush's warrantless domestic spying program, according to documents released by lawmakers Monday.

from: New York Times

Ex-phone chief says NSA sought data earlier

By Scott Shane
Story last modified Sun Oct 14 09:58:07 PDT 2007

The phone company Qwest Communications refused a proposal from the National Security Agency that the company's lawyers considered illegal in February 2001, nearly seven months before the terrorist attacks on September 11, the former head of the company contends in newly unsealed court filings.