Telecom Spies Off The Hook
July 10, 2008
(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5)
Loading ...The industry is conflicted over the House and Senate decision to give telephone companies immunity for the warrantless wiretapping of customer phones post 9/11. Although the companies were instructed by government officials to spy on their customers, doing so without a court order opened the carriers to massive legal risk.
Democrats were expected to make this an election issue. However, they ultimately approved the immunity in exchange for documentation that the carriers were instructed by government officials to spy on their customers. This opens suspicion that once blame is shifted from the carriers it will be focused on the parties who requested the wiretapping. For now, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and others appear to be off the hook.
Nearly 40 legal cases are currently pending against many of the nation’s carriers. It is unclear how this decision will affect these proceedings. Some loopholes may allow certain cases to continue. It is also possible that the congressional decision may be appealed to the Supreme Court based upon constitutionality.
Stay tuned for the sequel.
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