JONATHAN TURLEY

With the government still invoking the state secrets privilege on particular requests, Verizon revealed that from 2005 through this September there were 63,700 requests for information on its customers with 720 from federal authorities. it is impossible to judge the use of these special requests without knowing their specifics, as the administration knows. In the meantime, Verizon is still pushing for immunity so that it is not responsible for harm it causes to its customers. “Placing the onus on the provider to determine whether the government is acting within the scope of its authority would inevitably slow lawful efforts to protect the public. When an emergency situation arises, prompt assistance is often needed,” wrote Randal Milch, Verizon’s senior vice president and general counsel. Really? Verizon is a company tha attracts customers with assurances of reliability and confidentiality. When it then violates that trust, it insists that it should not be accountable to its customers. If Verizon does not have such responsibility, there is literally no one who has an interest in protecting privacy of its 30 million phone and 70 million wireless subscribers. The government wants “total transparency” and access. The Democrats and Republicans on the Intelligence Committees have proven that they are entirely incapable of performing meaningful oversight. The courts have been largely cut out by Congress. Thus, with this immunity bill, customers will be left to the discretion of government agencies who have been found to have violated these very laws. if the democrats allow this immunity bill to go through, it will be the final proof that civil liberties ranks somewhere below soybean subsidies in their priorities. For the full story, click here