• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
methodshop

methodshop

tech news, reviews & how to's

  • Trending
  • Latest Stories
  • Fun
  • Culture
  • Learn
  • Tech
  • Search
You are here: Home / Technology / Security / Verizon Sued For Alleged Cooperation With NSA Surveillance Efforts (2006)
Verizon Logo

Verizon Sued For Alleged Cooperation With NSA Surveillance Efforts (2006)

Lawsuit claims that Verizon violated privacy laws by turning over phone records to the government for a secret NSA surveillance program.

May 13, 2006 by jayfrankwilson
Facebook0Tweet0Pin0LinkedIn0

Attorneys Bruce Afran and Carl Mayer claim that Verizon violated privacy laws by turning over phone records to the government for a secret NSA surveillance program.

Lawsuit Against Verizon

The federal suit, filed in New York, asks the court to stop Verizon from turning over any more records to the NSA without a warrant or consent of the subscriber. It also seeks $1,000 for each violation of the Telecommunications Act, or $5 billion if the case is a class action.

Afran and Mayer said they would consider filing suits against BellSouth and AT&T; in other jurisdictions.

Customer Information Protection

Under Section 222 of the Communications Act, first passed in 1934, telephone companies are prohibited from giving out information regarding their customers’ calling habits: whom a person calls, how often and what routes those calls take to reach their final destination. Inbound calls, as well as wireless calls, also are covered.

Orin Kerr, a former federal prosecutor and assistant professor at George Washington University, said his reading of the relevant statutes put the phone companies at risk for at least $1,000 per person whose records they disclosed without a court order.

Section 2702 of Title 18 in the Electronic Communications Privacy Act prohibits electronic communications service providers from knowingly divulging a record or other information pertaining to a subscriber or customer to any government entity without customer consent, subpoena or court order.

“This is the largest intrusion into civil liberties ever seen in the United States,” said Afran, who is a professor at Rutgers University. “Americans expect their phone records to be private. That’s our bedrock governing principle of our phone system.”

Afran said that he and Mayer will also ask for documents dealing with the origination of the program and President Bush‘s role in it.





Verizon Responds To Alleged NSA Surveillance Cooperation

Verizon said in a statement that because the NSA program is highly classified, it wouldn’t confirm or deny whether the company participated in the program. It also declined to comment about the lawsuit.

A government official, while not confirming the existence of the NSA program, pointed to a 1979 Supreme Court case, Smith v. Maryland. The official said justices ruled that the acquisition of basic phone records — calling numbers, called numbers and duration of calls — is not a “search” under the Fourth Amendment and that individuals do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in such call record data.

But Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies, said after that case Congress required courts to approve the use of electronic devices that capture basic information about calls in real time, or to get a court order or a subpoena for phone records stored by phone companies.

The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T;, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.

Qwest was apparently alone among the four major telephone companies to have resisted the requests to cooperate with the government effort. A statement issued on behalf of former Qwest Communications CEO Joseph Nacchio by his lawyer, Herbert J. Stern, said that after the government’s first approach in the fall of 2001, “Mr. Nacchio made inquiry as to whether a warrant or other legal process had been secured in support of that request.”

“When he learned that no such authority had been granted and that there was a disinclination on the part of the authorities to use any legal process, including the Special Court which had been established to handle such matters, Mr. Nacchio concluded that these requests violated the privacy requirements of the Telecommications Act and issued instructions to refuse to comply,” Stern said.

Verizon Issues Statement on NSA and Privacy Protection
Verizon Communications today issued the following statement:The President has referred to an NSA program, which he authorized, directed against al-Qaeda. Because that program is highly classified, Verizon cannot comment on that program, nor can we confirm or deny whether we have had any relationship to it.

Having said that, there have been factual errors in press coverage about the way Verizon handles customer information in general. Verizon puts the interests of our customers first and has a longstanding commitment to vigorously safeguard our customers’ privacy — a commitment we’ve highlighted in our privacy principles.

Verizon will provide customer information to a government agency only where authorized by law for appropriately-defined and focused purposes. When information is provided, Verizon seeks to ensure it is properly used for that purpose and is subject to appropriate safeguards against improper use. Verizon does not, and will not, provide any government agency unfettered access to our customer records or provide information to the government under circumstances that would allow a fishing expedition.

In January 2006, Verizon acquired MCI, and we are ensuring that Verizon’s policies are implemented at that entity and that all its activities fully comply with law.

Verizon hopes that the Administration and the Congress can come together and agree on a process in an appropriate setting, and with safeguards for protecting classified information, to examine any issues that have been raised about the program. Verizon is fully prepared to participate in such a process.

Source: Verizon

Related Articles:

  • Woman Drags Child On Leash Through Verizon Store
  • Verizon Is Ending The iPhone’s Unlimited Data Plan
  • Really Scary Facts About Your Privacy on the Internet
  • Paris Hilton Phone Hack Exposes Nude Photos

Related Posts:

  • CBS Ties Its Future To Internet Efforts In New Web Deals
    CBS Ties Its Future To Internet Efforts In New Web Deals
  • NBC Is Being Sued Over Heroes Garbage Disposal Scene
    NBC Is Being Sued Over Heroes Garbage Disposal Scene
  • Surveillance Video of Los Angeles Apple Store Smash and Grab Burglary
    Surveillance Video of Los Angeles Apple Store Smash…

Facebook0Tweet0Pin0LinkedIn0
Category: Security, News Tag: AT&T, BellSouth, NSA, verizon
Previous Post: « Steve Jobs kills Disney Happy Meals
Next Post: Little earphones…Big sound »

Sidebar

Trending Now

  • How To Easily Create A PayPal Shipping Label Without InvoiceHow To Easily Create A PayPal Shipping Label Without Invoice
  • Controversial Nimbus 2000 Vibrating Harry Potter Broomstick Has Parents In An UproarControversial Nimbus 2000 Vibrating Harry Potter Broomstick Has Parents In An Uproar
  • The 30 Best Caddyshack Quotes That'll Make You LaughThe 30 Best Caddyshack Quotes That’ll Make You Laugh
  • 20 Famous People Who Are Members Of The Sleepless Elite20 Famous People Who Are Members Of The Sleepless Elite
  • 7 Pictures Of Naked People Captured By Google's Cameras7 Pictures Of Naked People Captured By Google’s Cameras
  • The 30 Best Office Space Quotes (How Many Do You Know?)The 30 Best Office Space Quotes (How Many Do You Know?)
  • 20 Silly 90s Fads That Were Cool Then, But Definitely Aren't Now20 Silly 90s Fads That Were Cool Then, But Definitely Aren’t Now
  • How To Import Microsoft Teams Customized BackgroundsHow To Import Microsoft Teams Customized Backgrounds
  • Fletch Quotes: 30 Of The Funniest Quotes From The Movie FletchFletch Quotes: 30 Of The Funniest Quotes From The Movie Fletch
  • 50+ Famous Happy Birthday Quotes From Notable Personalities50+ Famous Happy Birthday Quotes From Notable Personalities

Categories

COLD Podcast & Amazon Music

The COLD Podcast Gets Scooped Up In Exclusive Distribution Deal With Amazon Music And Has Been Optioned As A TV Series

Gina Carano Fired Poll

Was Disney Right To Fire Gina Carano From The Mandalorian?

After months of posting controversial messages on social media mocking pronouns supporting trans people, the 2020 election, face coverings, and Covid-19 lockdowns, The Mandalorian star Gina Carano got fired for her Instagram post about Jews in Nazi Germany that went too far for Disney.



About

MethodShop’s mission is to entertain, inform, and sometimes gross you out. MethodShop has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of the revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not by us. All prices are subject to change.

Latest

The Sunbather by Ohad Meromi

The 25 Weirdest Statues And Sculptures From Around The World

Perseverance Mars Landing Photos

This Incredible Midair Photo Shows The Perseverance Mars Landing From Above

Follow

MethodShop Animated Zoom Icon
  • About
  • Submit
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Store

Copyright © 2021 MethodShop · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT