Thread: Deal Reached in Congress to Rewrite Rules on Wiretapping

Deal Reached in Congress to Rewrite Rules on Wiretapping

By ERIC LICHTBLAU
Published: June 20, 2008

WASHINGTON — After months of wrangling, Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress struck a deal on Thursday to overhaul the rules on the government’s wiretapping powers and provide what amounts to legal immunity to the phone companies that took part in President Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping program after the Sept. 11 attacks.

The deal, expanding the government’s powers in some key respects, would allow intelligence officials to use broad warrants to eavesdrop on foreign targets and conduct emergency wiretaps without court orders on American targets for a week if it is determined important national security information would be lost otherwise. If approved, as appears likely, it would be the most significant revision of surveillance law in 30 years.

The agreement would settle one of the thorniest issues in dispute by providing immunity to the phone companies in the Sept. 11 program as long as a federal district court determines that they received legitimate requests from the government directing their participation in the warrantless wiretapping operation.

With some AT&T and other telecommunications companies now facing some 40 lawsuits over their reported participation in the wiretapping program, Republican leaders described this narrow court review on the immunity question as a mere “formality.â€

Do you think I personally care if they check my personal phone calls or computer usage? Does anyone remember the days of party lines? Party lines was when more than one house in an area was on the same phone line. You had to be nice to each other in those not so long ago days. Privacy is what comfort zone you are in. Who cares if someone listens in on all foreign calls into and out of the United States? I haven't made many in my lifetime except to my husband. I am sure Homeland Security wants to hear that news. Snail mail will be used by the terrorist if necessary than phone service.

Warrantless wiretapping is a concern more for political parties, and movers and shakers of the worldly markets. J. Edgar Hoover would like these days, though. He would have something on us all!

Originally Posted by vmonkey56

Do you think I personally care if they check my personal phone calls or computer usage? Does anyone remember the days of party lines? Party lines was when more than one house in an area was on the same phone line. You had to be nice to each other in those not so long ago days. Privacy is what comfort zone you are in. Who cares if someone listens in on all foreign calls into and out of the United States? I haven't made many in my lifetime except to my husband. I am sure Homeland Security wants to hear that news. Snail mail will be used by the terrorist if necessary than phone service.

Warrantless wiretapping is a concern more for political parties, and movers and shakers of the worldly markets. J. Edgar Hoover would like these days, though. He would have something on us all!

You might if you ever want to run for office.

EXACTLY.... PROBABLY ONLY THEN...IN PUBLIC OFFICE...WORK MY WEBS
TO WIN...RIGHT ON....NO TAPPING MY PHONE AND COMPUTER THEN.