Way to go EFF. I just get so angry, the more and more I read these types of articles. I understand that this is a case of a few bad apples ruining things for everyone, but for Pete's sake, we must have SOME smart, responsible, trustworthy, principled people in the places where these schemes are hatched. Or even at AT&T. If some of you are reading this, please, please, please take a stand next time someone suggests this kind of idea, and do the right thing.

Until then, I will wait to hear which companies have also participated in this behavior, and then never, ever take my business to them again. Americans may currently be beset on all sides by iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men (and women), but you still control your pocketbook. Vote with that.

If AT&T did, in fact, act completely legally (but seriously, FISA was set up, as I understand it, to look at cases on an individual basis, not to arbitrate against all of America, and I am pretty sure that they couldn't get through all of the millions of submissions which would be necessary, even in four years), then I apologize to them for having judged them harshly. But honestly, I just don't know that I can trust Halliburton, by which I mean AT&T, that much.

Either we live in a free republic where citizen's rights are valued and protected, or we do not.

All of the political rhetoric about national security aside, if we cannot protect our security without violating people's rights then is this really a free republic, or is it a fascist state dressed up to look like a free country?

I'm not sure if I'm offering a broad, overall look at this situation, or if I'm just being simplistic, but it seems to me we need to admit either that democracy has failed as a system, or that it has not failed and that we need to act now to stop this fascist-style tyranny.

It's got to be one or the other, right?

In the future, when anyone hears the words "tort reform", remember this case. Tort reform would likely have negatively impacted this case coming to light, or as bad, the sword dangling over the head of the telecoms.

I hope they spend millions in legal bills to defend this case, and spend billions if they lose it.

It's obscene that they sell our data (or contract out the selling so they can proclaim their innocence). The only way to stop this and future transgressions is to *hurt* them where it counts - their balance sheet.

I work for Bellsouth, who today demanded that the newspapers print a retraction, saying that Bellsouth did, in fact, NOT give any info to the government. But we are about to merge with AT&T, so I don't know WHAT to think!!! Will a lawsuit stop the merger? Do I want it to? It's very confusing to be a part of this mess, believing as I do in the Constitution, and our basic rights of privacy as Americans, but yet depending on the health of the telecom industry for my paycheck. *sigh*

Quest communications out of loyalty to its customers and the legal principles of the request straight out said no...if a formal document could not be furnished by the attorney general they realized that it was a bully tactic that they would eventually be held accountable in the event of a class action suit...way to go quest...no collateral no deal.