A
Alan Smithee
Guest
Why Verizon gives up calling records to feds
Telecom cites 'emergency' nature of requests
By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post
Article Launched: 10/16/2007 01:32:52 AM PDT
WASHINGTON - Verizon Communications, the nation's second-largest
telecom company, told congressional investigators that it has provided
customers' telephone records to federal authorities without court
orders hundreds of times since 2005.
The company said it does not determine the emergency requests'
legality or necessity because to do so would slow efforts to save
lives in criminal investigations.
In an Oct. 12 letter replying to Democratic lawmakers, Verizon offered
a rare glimpse into the way telecommunications companies cooperate
with government requests for information on Americans.
Verizon also disclosed that the FBI, using administrative subpoenas,
sought information identifying not just a person making a call, but
also all the people that customer called, as well as the people those
people called. Verizon does not keep data on this "two-generation
community of interest" for customers, but the request highlights the
broad reach of the government's quest for data.
House committee told
The admissions, in a letter from Verizon to three Democrats on the
House Energy and Commerce Committee investigating the carriers'
participation in government surveillance programs, demonstrated the
willingness of telecom companies to comply with government requests
for data, even, at times, without traditional legal supporting
documents. The committee members also received letters from AT&T and
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Qwest Communications International, but those letters did not provide
details on customer data given to the government.
From January 2005 to September 2007, Verizon provided data to federal
authorities on an emergency basis 720 times, it said in the letter.
The records included Internet protocol addresses, as well as phone
data. In that period, Verizon turned over information a total of
94,000 times to federal authorities armed with a subpoena or court
order, the letter said. The information was used for a range of
criminal investigations, including kidnapping and child-predator cases
and counter-terrorism investigations.
Limits on their role
Verizon and AT&T said it was not their role to second-guess the
legitimacy of emergency government requests.
The letters were released Monday by the lawmakers as Congress debates
whether to grant telecom carriers immunity in cases where they are
sued for disclosing customers' phone records and other data to the
government, even if they did not have court authorization. House
Democrats have said they cannot contemplate such immunity without
first understanding the nature of the carriers' cooperation with the
government.
"The responses from these telecommunications companies highlight the
need of Congress to continue pressing the Bush administration for
answers. The water is as murky as ever on this issue, and it's past
time for the administration to come clean," said Rep. Edward Markey,
D-Mass., who launched the investigation with panel Chairman John
Dingell, D-Mich., and Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich.
Congressional Democrats have been largely stymied in their efforts to
have the Bush administration disclose the scope and nature of it
surveillance and data-gathering efforts after the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks. Revelations have come through press reports, advocacy groups'
Freedom of Information Act lawsuits and Justice Department inspector
general reports.
Verizon's 13-page letter indicated that the requests went even further
than previously known. Verizon said it has received FBI administrative
subpoenas called national security letters requesting data that would
"identify a calling circle" for subscribers' telephone numbers,
including people contacted by the people contacted by the subscriber.
Verizon said it does not keep such information.
"The privacy concerns are exponential each generation you go away from
the suspect's number," said Kurt Opsahl, senior staff attorney with
the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "This shows that further
investigation by Congress and the inspector general is critical."
Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless stirred up controversy with a letter it
sent to customers recently telling them that it would begin sharing
information from their calling records with its "affiliates, agents
and parent companies."
Opt-out option
Brian Ashby, associate general counsel for Verizon, on Monday said the
company was seeking to share that information only among Verizon
divisions, so it can better sell new products to existing customers.
In the mailing, Verizon gave customers 30 days to "opt out" if they
did not want their information shared.
Analysts and consumer advocates suggest the company also may be
interested in gathering information to tailor the advertising it
displays on cell phone screens.
The concern about the mailing spread quickly online and resulted in
the company clarifying its position late Monday.
Verizon Wireless's more than 60 million customers can opt out of
sharing their information by calling (800) 333-9956. But if they do
not do so within 30 days, Verizon said it would assume they want their
information shared.
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_7190976?nclick_check=1
Telecom cites 'emergency' nature of requests
By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post
Article Launched: 10/16/2007 01:32:52 AM PDT
WASHINGTON - Verizon Communications, the nation's second-largest
telecom company, told congressional investigators that it has provided
customers' telephone records to federal authorities without court
orders hundreds of times since 2005.
The company said it does not determine the emergency requests'
legality or necessity because to do so would slow efforts to save
lives in criminal investigations.
In an Oct. 12 letter replying to Democratic lawmakers, Verizon offered
a rare glimpse into the way telecommunications companies cooperate
with government requests for information on Americans.
Verizon also disclosed that the FBI, using administrative subpoenas,
sought information identifying not just a person making a call, but
also all the people that customer called, as well as the people those
people called. Verizon does not keep data on this "two-generation
community of interest" for customers, but the request highlights the
broad reach of the government's quest for data.
House committee told
The admissions, in a letter from Verizon to three Democrats on the
House Energy and Commerce Committee investigating the carriers'
participation in government surveillance programs, demonstrated the
willingness of telecom companies to comply with government requests
for data, even, at times, without traditional legal supporting
documents. The committee members also received letters from AT&T and
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qwest Communications International, but those letters did not provide
details on customer data given to the government.
From January 2005 to September 2007, Verizon provided data to federal
authorities on an emergency basis 720 times, it said in the letter.
The records included Internet protocol addresses, as well as phone
data. In that period, Verizon turned over information a total of
94,000 times to federal authorities armed with a subpoena or court
order, the letter said. The information was used for a range of
criminal investigations, including kidnapping and child-predator cases
and counter-terrorism investigations.
Limits on their role
Verizon and AT&T said it was not their role to second-guess the
legitimacy of emergency government requests.
The letters were released Monday by the lawmakers as Congress debates
whether to grant telecom carriers immunity in cases where they are
sued for disclosing customers' phone records and other data to the
government, even if they did not have court authorization. House
Democrats have said they cannot contemplate such immunity without
first understanding the nature of the carriers' cooperation with the
government.
"The responses from these telecommunications companies highlight the
need of Congress to continue pressing the Bush administration for
answers. The water is as murky as ever on this issue, and it's past
time for the administration to come clean," said Rep. Edward Markey,
D-Mass., who launched the investigation with panel Chairman John
Dingell, D-Mich., and Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich.
Congressional Democrats have been largely stymied in their efforts to
have the Bush administration disclose the scope and nature of it
surveillance and data-gathering efforts after the Sept. 11, 2001,
attacks. Revelations have come through press reports, advocacy groups'
Freedom of Information Act lawsuits and Justice Department inspector
general reports.
Verizon's 13-page letter indicated that the requests went even further
than previously known. Verizon said it has received FBI administrative
subpoenas called national security letters requesting data that would
"identify a calling circle" for subscribers' telephone numbers,
including people contacted by the people contacted by the subscriber.
Verizon said it does not keep such information.
"The privacy concerns are exponential each generation you go away from
the suspect's number," said Kurt Opsahl, senior staff attorney with
the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "This shows that further
investigation by Congress and the inspector general is critical."
Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless stirred up controversy with a letter it
sent to customers recently telling them that it would begin sharing
information from their calling records with its "affiliates, agents
and parent companies."
Opt-out option
Brian Ashby, associate general counsel for Verizon, on Monday said the
company was seeking to share that information only among Verizon
divisions, so it can better sell new products to existing customers.
In the mailing, Verizon gave customers 30 days to "opt out" if they
did not want their information shared.
Analysts and consumer advocates suggest the company also may be
interested in gathering information to tailor the advertising it
displays on cell phone screens.
The concern about the mailing spread quickly online and resulted in
the company clarifying its position late Monday.
Verizon Wireless's more than 60 million customers can opt out of
sharing their information by calling (800) 333-9956. But if they do
not do so within 30 days, Verizon said it would assume they want their
information shared.
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_7190976?nclick_check=1
