[privacy] Alert: Stop Specter's Surveillance Bill

["Fergie" <fergdawg () netzero net>]

Via The EFF.

[snip]

EFF's lawsuit against AT&T aims to expose and stop its collaboration
with the NSA's massive spying program. But Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA)
has drafted a bill that would sweep this illegal activity and any
further government surveillance under the rug, shuffling legal
challenges out of the traditional court system and into the shadowy
FISA courts. Tell Congress to reject this proposal and let cases like
EFF's have a fair hearing in court.

Specter's bill would stack the deck against anyone suing to stop
illegal surveillance, including the wholesale violation of the Fourth
Amendment alleged in EFF’s case. The FISA courts' secret proceedings --
where only the government gets to present arguments -- violate our
nation's tradition of openness and transparency in the court system.
Burying legal challenges in these secret courts will cut off meaningful
judicial review.

Worse still, the bill tries to make an end-run around the Fourth
Amendment by creating a secret, Congressionally-sanctioned approval
process for future dragnet spying programs. Without the public ever
knowing, the Attorney General would be able to covertly obtain general
warrants that let the government spy on everyone.

Specter will no doubt try to sneak this bill through quickly and
without scrutiny -- act now to stop it in its tracks.

[snip]

Act now. Here:
http://action.eff.org/site/Advocacy?id=235

- ferg



--
"Fergie", a.k.a. Paul Ferguson
 Engineering Architecture for the Internet
 fergdawg(at)netzero.net
 ferg's tech blog: http://fergdawg.blogspot.com/

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