AT&T Could Owe You $146,000

[Nbadan]

I'll Just take mine in cash...

AT&T Could Owe You $146,000
FISA violation means $36,500 per claimant, per four years of wiretapping
11:25AM Thursday Feb 21 2008 by Karl

The Legality blog has an interesting read on just how much telecom providers like AT&T could owe their customers should the lawsuit against them for illegal wiretapping be allowed to proceed. While there are more than forty potential suits currently open against Sprint, Verizon and AT&T, the EFF's case against AT&T is the most highly visible, given it involved a 22-year former employee turned whistleblower. If the EFF case proceeds and it shows widespread violation of FISA laws, AT&T would be in some serious financial trouble:

Code provision 50 U.S.C. § 1810 imposes civil liability on any person (or en y) for each violation of FISA. Victims of illegal surveillance are en led to recover $100 for each day they were wiretapped, or actual damages over $1000, whichever is greater. Additionally, FISA provides compensation for attorney’s fees and other costs of litigation. . . As you may imagine, one hundred dollars per day, per person adds up over four years. If the Hepting lawsuit is successful, AT&T could face damages of over $36,500 per claimant per year. Nearly every person with a computer or phone in the United States could be impacted.

AT&T serves 14.2 million broadband customers and roughly 70 million landline users. If they were forced to pay $146,000 to each landline customer, AT&T could be facing a total legal liability cost of $10,220,000,000,000.


While highly unlikely given AT&T's lobbying & legal prowess, these kind of numbers make it a little more clear why AT&T and Verizon have been spending millions in DC over the past few years in order to get legal immunity for their involvement in these programs. Congress is currently on vacation, but when they return the House will be tasked with deciding whether or not to fight, or support, these companies' request for immunity as they move to renew FISA.

DSL Reports

This Thursday, the House of Representatives is expected to hand phone
companies a get-out-of-jail-free card for illegally turning over your
private phone records to the government. I don’t have to tell you how
wrong this is.

We have 48 hours to stop them. Tell your U.S. representative that you oppose any effort to cover-up illegal spying on Americans. We will deliver the letter before Thursday's vote.

Tell your U.S. representative: No Cover Up

ATT, I want my money!

[some_user86]

Ain't gonna happen.

Ron Paul was right. We're kissing our civil liberties goodbye.

I guess I'll too become like Dr. Strangelove and learn to stop worrying and start to love the bomb.

[inconvertible]

sounds like this is the real reason Bush wants that FISA law renewed. Bush is 100% fascist and we are still told be the media we are a democracy.....whatever.

[FromWayDowntown]

But, but . . . . we have to protect our security. Security is far more important than freedom!!!

[101A]

sounds like this is the real reason Bush wants that FISA law renewed. Bush is 100% fascist and we are still told be the media we are a democracy.....whatever.

I don't really want to interfere with your rant, but something bugs me in your statement.

People REALLY need to learn what Fascism is. Bush is not a Fascist. Many lefties need to become better versed in their use of derogatory political ideologies.

I mean, I know what you are getting at, and I don't agree with you...but I think you might be more accurate by labelling him an "Opportunistic Strongman", or "Overreaching Demagogue", or something of that nature. "100% fascist", just is not accurate.

[101A]

I actually agree wholeheartedly that the govt. having more ability to eavesdrop on its citizens in NOT something ANY American should relish.

As much as the intentions of this administration (which, I admit is debatable), may be good, once the genie is out of the bottle, ALL future administrations will be able to use the ability/technology for whatever they see fit. Scary.

[Spurminator]

So does this not apply to those of us who only have cell phone service?

[some_user86]

Haha, we should all stop posting in this thread right now. NSA has a wiretap into the ISPs' data backbone. They're monitoring our internet activity live. They say it's to watch the internet activity of the terrorists and was needed after 9/11. Funny thing is that it was started by an executive order from a certain President Clinton, well in advance of any hint of an attack. (<-- Another reason why I can't trust Sen. Clinton to the office... Her husband has proven to disregard civil liberties just as well as Bush has... I'll roll the dice with Obama).

Too bad people are suckers and would never have voted for Ron Paul.

[spurster]

Bill Clinton was no libertarian, but the NSA didn't tap into AT&T and the other ISPs and Telcos until after 9/11. See the following timeline:

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/c...illiberties_84

Bill's executive order (which was not a secret by the way) was nowhere near as sweeping or as secretive as BushCo's actions.

[some_user86]

Bill Clinton was no libertarian, but the NSA didn't tap into AT&T and the other ISPs and Telcos until after 9/11. See the following timeline:

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/c...illiberties_84

Bill's executive order (which was not a secret by the way) was nowhere near as sweeping or as secretive as BushCo's actions.

I agree. I think it was a bad statement on my part to say that Bush and Clinton are equivalents. Bush has won the race in regards to disregarding civil liberties by several miles. But I still got beef with the Clintons.

[Wild Cobra]

OK, let's say that they could be sued. The only people who could get the money are those making or recieveing overseas calls with people on the terrorsist watch list.

Dan... who is your terrorist friend that fits that MO for your conversation to be tapped? If you claim you have money coming, then you must be in communications with a terrorist!