*sigh*

[psybelle]

So... the big story that broke while I was having a lovely dinner last night is the revelation of FBI demands that Verizon hand over all call records to the NSA. Let me quote: The order, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, requires Verizon on an "ongoing, daily basis" to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its systems, both within the US and between the US and other countries.

This is not calls between foreign nationals and somebody in the US, this is not calls made to another country, this is not calls made by suspicious persons. This is metadata on all calls made in the US, on an ongoing and daily basis. (And, yes, metadata is important.)


Disclaimer time: my cellphone is courtesy of Verizon. But... an anonymous insider characterized this order as a rubber-stamp renewal of an ongoing set of orders dating back to 2006; if you think the other telcos haven't received similar orders and haven't been coughing up the same sort of info for the past 6+ years, you're fooling yourself. Likewise, email and other "online communications" have less legal protection than phone calls; don't think that Google/Gmail and f*c*book are exempt.... (more at the Times and at Democracy Now)



And, of course, my Senator DiFi claims this is all to protect Americans.... I'd like a list of the liberties and freedoms she thinks she's defending.


(edit: forgot an important linkie!! Bruce Schneier nails it again in talking about what we don't actually know about the NSA's spying program data collection. And he makes the important point that, "Whistle-blowing is the moral response to immoral activity by those in power. " Revealing the truth is a moral imperative; there are ways to do so in relative safety. Supporting the people who reveal ugly truths is also a moral imperative; if you aren't comfortable speaking out, you can give money to organizations like
EFF and the Freedom of the Press Foundation.)