-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Action Alert - Stop Specter's Surveillance Bill! Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:31:01 -0500 (CDT) From: EFFector Special Alert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: EFFector Special Alert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Organization: EFF To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EFFector Special Action Alert, July 11, 2006 [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Action Alert - Stop Specter's Surveillance Bill! EFF's lawsuit against AT&T aims to expose and stop its collaboration with the NSA's massive spying program. But Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) has drafted a bill that would sweep this illegal activity and any further government surveillance under the rug, shuffling legal challenges out of the traditional court system and into the shadowy FISA courts. Tell Congress to reject this proposal and let cases like EFF's have a fair hearing in court. Specter's bill would stack the deck against anyone suing to stop illegal surveillance, including the wholesale violation of the Fourth Amendment alleged in EFF's case. The FISA courts' secret proceedings -- where only the government gets to present arguments -- violate our nation's tradition of openness and transparency in the court system. Burying legal challenges in these secret courts will cut off meaningful judicial review. Worse still, the bill tries to make an end-run around the Fourth Amendment by creating a secret, Congressionally- sanctioned approval process for future dragnet spying programs. Without the public ever knowing, the Attorney General would be able to covertly obtain general warrants that let the government spy on everyone. Specter will no doubt try to sneak this bill through quickly and without scrutiny -- act now to stop it in its tracks. <http://action.eff.org/site/Advocacy?id=235> : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : EFF is a member-supported nonprofit Make a donation and become a member today! <http://secure.eff.org/join> : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : . : * Administrivia EFFector Special Alert is published by: The Electronic Frontier Foundation 454 Shotwell Street San Francisco CA 94110-1914 USA +1 415 436 9333 (voice) +1 415 436 9993 (fax) <http://www.eff.org/> Editor: Derek Slater, Activist [EMAIL PROTECTED] Membership & donation queries: [EMAIL PROTECTED] General EFF, legal, policy, or online resources queries: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The EFF Special Action Alert is an occasional email targeted to EFFector subscribers who can make an impact on a specific issue. You can subscribe to EFFector without subscribing to these special alerts. Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is encouraged. To reproduce signed articles individually, please contact the authors for their express permission. Press releases and EFF announcements & articles may be reproduced individually at will. This special alert is printed on 100% recycled electrons. -- Paul G. Allen Owner, Sr. Engineer, BSIT/SE Random Logic Consulting Services www.randomlogic.com -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
