Save Access

from: CNET

House Democrats take aim at FCC practices

By Anne Broache

Story last modified Thu Mar 15 06:15:16 PDT 2007

WASHINGTON--The Federal Communications Commission endured a bruising on Wednesday from congressional Democrats who accused the regulators of overstepping their authority, lagging in answering consumer complaints, and operating in secret.

from: Silicon Valley

Feds, AT&T: Eavesdropping trial would reveal state secrets

Posted on Tue, Mar. 13, 2007
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO - The federal government is urging an appeals court to dismiss a lawsuit challenging President Bush's domestic eavesdropping program, warning that disclosure of such activities could compromise national security.

Note: A new spin on this older story (May 2006), remember that the Justice Department and the FCC cleared the AT&T-Bell South merger well after the original story was broken. EFF still has a lawsuit pending against the NSA

from: AlterNet

Top Secret Gov't Spying room revealed by AT&T Whistleblower

from: Ars Technica

Congress to FCC: You've got some splainin' to do

2/13/2007 3:48:17 PM, by Nate Anderson

Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) doesn't mess around. He currently chairs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and he's gearing up for a full-scale FCC hearing on February 15. He has already issued a string of pointed questions to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin that make one thing clear: Martin should not expect a rosy reception.

Note: This is off topic for saveaccess, but worth repeating. Remember that the FBI (and NSA) need network access to run these traps, and compliant companies, such as AT&T and Verizon. The EFF lawsuit with AT&T over the NSA scandal is still pending, hopefully this latest FBI admission will shed more light on these practices

“I call them the black ninjas. They work by night and are very, very good.”
- past FCC Chairman Bill Kennard explaining telco lobbyists

In a holiday present to Wall Street, the FCC approved the 85 billion dollar AT&T/BellSouth merger. The combined company will have an estimated $100 billion dollars in annual revenue, employ 300,000 people, and control 22 states, including local phone service to 70 million and DSL service for 11 million.

Note; You can download the complete ACLU Complaint at < http://efile.mpsc.cis.state.mi.us/efile/docs/14985/0001.pdf

from: Detroit news

ACLU battles AT&T, Verizon

Gregg Krupa / The Detroit News

from: Digital Destiny

AT&T as Ma Censor: Playing the `Indecency’ Card in its Anti-Net Neutrality Campaign

July 15th, 2006

In a reflection of how desperate AT&T’s executives are to stave off an open broadband medium in the U.S., the former SBC is willing to use any tactic—no matter how despicable and dangerous. It appears that AT&T is now seeking to inflame conservative family groups, as well as parents in general, by claiming that network neutrality will usher in a torrent of what it deems to be inappropriate content. Communications Daily reports that an AT&T spokesperson confirmed that:

An older 6/23 article but interesting in light of USA Today's retraction about Telcos giving the NSA individual phone records(only AT&T is still implicated in the NSA scandal - AT&T is also suspected of housing secret NSA facilities to monitor network traffic).