From Glen Greenwald at www.salon.com:
Now that Congress has given immunity to telecommunications companies that helped the government spy on Americans in suspected terrorism cases, a Maine legislator is asking Verizon anew if it turned over any customer records to the federal government. As it has in the past when faced with such queries, Verizon Communications Inc. says it is not commenting on matters involving national security. . . . The law in effect nullified a lawsuit by Maine which sought to know what kind of phone customer information was turned over to the National Security Agency as part of its anti-terror efforts. That and several other similar cases brought by consumers, privacy advocates and others had been consolidated before Congress granted immunity. . . . "Possibly tens of thousands of Mainers have had their private phone records leaked to the federal government without their knowledge or say-so, and now none of them may ever know," he said.
As it has in the past when faced with such queries, Verizon Communications Inc. says it is not commenting on matters involving national security. . . .
The law in effect nullified a lawsuit by Maine which sought to know what kind of phone customer information was turned over to the National Security Agency as part of its anti-terror efforts. That and several other similar cases brought by consumers, privacy advocates and others had been consolidated before Congress granted immunity. . . .
"Possibly tens of thousands of Mainers have had their private phone records leaked to the federal government without their knowledge or say-so, and now none of them may ever know," he said.
Telecoms have done the same to the U.S. Congress as well, by outright refusing to respond to inquiries from Congressional committees concerning their conduct in enabling spying on their customers.
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