Supreme Court lets stand telecom immunity in wiretap case
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court is leaving in place a federal law that gives telecommunications companies legal immunity for helping the government with its email and telephone eavesdropping program.
The justices said Tuesday they will not review a court ruling that upheld the 2008 law against challenges brought by privacy and civil liberties advocates on behalf of the companies' customers. The companies include AT&T, Inc., Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc.
Lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation accused the companies of violating the law and customers' privacy through collaboration with the National Security Agency on intelligence gathering.
The case stemmed from surveillance rules passed by Congress that included protection from legal liability for telecommunications companies that allegedly helped the U.S. spy on Americans without warrants.
The justices said Tuesday they will not review a court ruling that upheld the 2008 law against challenges brought by privacy and civil liberties advocates on behalf of the companies' customers. The companies include AT&T, Inc., Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Communications Inc.
Lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and Electronic Frontier Foundation accused the companies of violating the law and customers' privacy through collaboration with the National Security Agency on intelligence gathering.
The case stemmed from surveillance rules passed by Congress that included protection from legal liability for telecommunications companies that allegedly helped the U.S. spy on Americans without warrants.
Ooo! Big surprise here. Gotta protect those corporate interests. Corporations run this country. Yours and my belief that we have guaranteed rights under the Constitution is laughable at best.
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After all, "Corporations are people too, my friend." -- Mitt Romney
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And guess who'll win in a courtroom between you and a major corporation?
Three easy steps to "protecting" the American Empire from those dastardly citizens of the United States: 1. Corporate electioneering; 2. Corporate immunization; 3. Electronic voting. All made possible by those nine judges sworn to uphold the constitution of the United States. Just describe opponents as "terrorists" and watch the public cringe, and beg for protection.
Wow, big corporations won out over mere "privacy and civil liberties advocates" in court. Shocked.
1984: Big Brother (Sis) loves you. I'd be alright with this if it were used exclusively to root out terrorists, but it isn't. Not by a long shot.
Why are we allowing our government to abuse the very laws that were put in place to keep it just? Search warrants are to protect the privacy of the citizens which are doing nothing illegal by making the law enforcement agencies show probable cause before conducting a search. The government is taking way too many liberties with this intellegence gathering it claims is for counter-terrorism. Are they just using that excuse to break all laws protecting private law-abiding citizens?
 @MickRoh Because the American Citizen is just to lazy to do anything. and they no longer care about what happens, well that is my opinion.
 @lee986321 Lee, as much as I HATE to agree with you ;-) , you're right.
Americans have become like the Romans of old with their Bread and Circuses to appease the populace. Junk food, alcohol and plenty of mindless entertainment to keep the people from paying attention to that's going on around them.
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But, after 236 years perhaps it's time for a change, eh? After all, we've been enjoying our "freedoms" for a long time, but really haven't had to fight for them. For someone else's, maybe, not not our own. Eventually even the most vigilant sentries become weary, especially when it's all being done for them in one way or another.