Operation Hemisphere: DEA Agents Using AT&T Telephone Call Database (drug, conspiracy)

[rso092]

Originally Posted by New York Times

For at least six years, law enforcement officials working on a counternarcotics program have had routine access, using subpoenas, to an enormous AT&T database that contains the records of decades of Americans’ phone calls — parallel to but covering a far longer time than the National Security Agency’s hotly disputed collection of phone call logs.

The Hemisphere Project, a partnership between federal and local drug officials and AT&T that has not previously been reported, involves an extremely close association between the government and the telecommunications giant.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/02/us...nsas.html?_r=0

Disgusting, but not surprising given recent revelations about this government.

Although I can't wait for the excuses and reasons given for supporting such a program.

[middle-aged mom]

From the link:

" For at least six years, law enforcement officials working on a counter narcotics program have had routine access, using subpoenas......."

Regardless of politics, I do not have a problem with this.

[rso092]

Originally Posted by middle-aged mom

From the link:

" For at least six years, law enforcement officials working on a counter narcotics program have had routine access, using subpoenas......."

Regardless of politics, I do not have a problem with this.

Did I mention politics?

I'm truly curious; how could someone, once informed of this sort of program, not have a problem with it? What is it in particular that you are supportive of?

[rso092]

BTW, if anyone wants to say this is all good because they're using subpoenas, this is what an "Administrative Subpoena" actually is:

An administrative subpoena under U.S. law is a subpoena issued by a federal agency without prior judicial oversight. Critics say that administrative subpoena authority is a violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, while proponents say that it provides a valuable investigative tool.

[HappyTexan]

Did anyone truly think they were collecting all this data to just let sit and gather dust ?

[rso092]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

Did anyone truly think they were collecting all this data to just let sit and gather dust ?

I surely did not, but there are (or were) plenty of folks who called others paranoid conspiracy theorists when told the government did these things. Now, we have proof that the government is doing these things.

[Neuling]

AT&T, that reminds me of Vodafone's sale of its 130 billion dollar share of Verizon I read about today. I wonder if those government programs have something to do with it, why else would Vodafone sell its profitable US business?

Anyway, it is odd that they save that date for decades, probably forever. Any acquired data should automatically expire after a certain period of time, unless it is actively used in a specific investigation of the persons involved.
I think forgetting and resetting also belong to life, even crimes fall under the statute of limitations.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by rso092

I surely did not, but there are (or were) plenty of folks who called others paranoid conspiracy theorists when told the government did these things. Now, we have proof that the government is doing these things.

Yeah..Above Top Secret is slowly turning into a "news" site eh ?

[Neuling]

Now AT&T wants to take over Vodafone for $100 billion or so, probably in order to make spying outside the US more efficient

Glad I read that today as I was planning on switching to Vodafone next week. Ain't gonna happen now that I know...