Watchdog: Telecoms let FBI read Americans' phone records

[babylonsister]

:grr:

Watchdog: Telecoms let FBI read Americans' phone records

By Marisa Taylor | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — For years, FBI agents and employees of telecom companies treated Americans' telephone records so cavalierly that one senior FBI counter-terrorism official said getting access to them was as easy as "having an ATM in your living room," according to a watchdog report made public Wednesday.

At times, telecom employees invited FBI personnel to view the phone records on their computer screens without any of the required paperwork or approvals, the Justice Department's Inspector General Glenn Fine found.

Between 2003 and 2006, one FBI unit set up to analyze telephone records issued 722 so-called "exigent letters" to three unidentified service providers.

In the letters, FBI agents attested to the urgent nature of the investigation and pledged to follow up with prosecutor-approved subpoenas later. The letters were issued without court oversight.

"We found that many FBI supervisors and employees issued or approved these exigent letters even though the letters on their face contained statements that were inaccurate, such as that a grand jury subpoena had already been submitted," the report said.

The report is the inspector general's third slamming the bureau's handling of requests for Americans' personal records.

more...

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/82703.html

[zbdent]

1. I've wondered if all those reports of credit card companies and store databases being

hacked and consumer information being compromised was better PR than admitting that they just handed over all the information over to Bush's "terrorism investigation" ...

[aquart]

2. Dear me. What a surprise. Who would have thought?

FBI had 400 pages on my grandfather. And that was from before computers.

[midnight]

3. Obama says: In a dangerous world, government must have the authority to collect

the intelligence we need to protect the American people. But in a free society, that authority cannot be unlimited. As I've said many times, an independent monitor must watch the watchers to prevent abuses and to protect the civil liberties of the American people. This compromise law assures that the FISA court has that responsibility.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/barack-obama/my-position-on-fisa_b_110789.html


This compromise tool was not part of the law pre 9-11 and yet the spy's were able to know who wanted to attack America. The compromise response to the threat is concerning....

[babylonsister]

4. Don't we need someone to monitor what's going on to determine that

nothing illegal is happening?

Seems like that would have been a benefit during idiot son's term--a lot of this might have been avoided.

[MadHound]

5. And this continues to this day

It's been going on for decades and it will continue until we the people finally stand up and say "ENOUGH". Will that happen though, that's another question.