Phone Companies Deny
NEW YORK — Verizon Communications Inc. says it did not give the government records of millions of phone calls, joining fellow phone company BellSouth in disputing key assertions in a USA Today article.
The statement came a day after BellSouth Corp. issued a similar denial.
Verizon's statement suggested that USA Today may have erred in not drawing a distinction between long-distance and local telephone calls.
"Phone companies do not even make records of local calls in most cases because the vast majority of customers are not billed per call for local calls," Verizon said.
Three smaller phone companies, with mainly local business, contacted by The Associated Press on Tuesday also denied being approached by the NSA. Representatives at Alltel Corp., Citizens Communications Co. and CenturyTel Inc. all said they had no knowledge of NSA requests to their companies.
The denials by Verizon and BellSouth leave AT&T as the sole company named in the USA Today article that hasn't denied involvement. On Thursday, San Antonio-based AT&T said it had "an obligation to assist law enforcement and other government agencies responsible for protecting the public welfare," but said it would assist only as allowed within the law.
7 comments:
Dougy,
Are those local calls and/or long distance? Is your carrier one of the companies named by USAToday? ATT, Bellsouth, Verizon? Land line or cell phone? as the call records may be kept differently.
I think a major part of this story is putting the fear of guvmint in people, along with destroying peoples trust in all media - one day a story is breaking news, the next day it's a hoax, the next day it's denied, the next day it disappears ... then reappears as truth again ... the inside "sources" mode is becoming a joke. Perhaps that's the intent.
All the companies appear to say they will only assist with what is within the law. But the government can change the rules/law as often and as quietly as need be.
It's becoming a question of who or what can the people believe anymore when half the shocking "breaking" news/revelations fizzle or drag on and on and on and on and on like the energizer bunny (i.e. Plame affair).
Somehow I'm the only one I know that is bothered by this. Everyone else shrugs it off and says, (direct quote) "if the government didn't have access to phone records, how you think criminals are caught? one of the best ways for the police to track people down and find criminals is by accessing phone records. Many victims of crimes would never find justice if the government didn't have access to these types of things. . . and if you're not doing anything wrong, then why would you care?????"
anon,
If the government tracked us all then they should be capable of putting an end to organized crime, drug cartels, exploited children, pedophiles, con artists, illegal immigrants, corporate corruption, etc. etc.
The elite spy on one another, always have. If and when they decide to review the trillions of bytes of info on our phone and email - it would be solely to award federal contracts to buddy companies to maintain the info. Knowing how the buddy companies deliver I doubt most of the info would be stored for long if at all. And if it were, likely someone in India would be transcribing it and miss quite a bit. The government/ruling elite do nothing w/o a profit motive first and foremost.
Phone lugs can be pulled easily enough with probable cause. Most judges will come down on the side of the system requesting it.
As the "right" likes to create fear of something always coming to get us (communists, terrorists, etc.) the "left" always creates fear of "losing" freedom/liberty. The right uses "them" to scare us - the left uses "us" to scare us.
I'm more concerned about driving while Black or reaching for my wallet than of uncle Sam listening to me swear at him on the phone. Maybe some folks have been abused often enough long enough that eavesdropping doesn't bother them.
If I were doing something illegal I wouldn't be sharing it on an open phone line or email.
The collection of information on Joe Blow is a great distraction though from the other atrocities committed at home and abroad.
Kate it takes 7 to 14 days to get a warrant to tap a drug suspects phone. That is why police say they are almost worthless, by the time you get the warrant they have ditched the phone and purchased another.
Terrorist are not dumb they know they are under survelience I am sure they buy phones in bulk and then use certain ones on certain days so trying to track them is futile.
The whole wiretaping debacle is to frighten the public and keep the people from talking about this administratioons ineptitude and total disregard for human rights or the rule of law.
The third reicht would be proud of the nefarious ways this group of neocons and religinuts have subverted the American way of life and the lawful administration of the government.
barryg,
I think the subversion of the "American way of life" began long before this current crew took office.
I agree though the wiretapping is a tool to frighten people.
I also know Clinton was as dirty, just better at hiding it and perhaps doing less of it. I know for a fact Clinton would return CIA reports with tweaking if the original didn't analyze his way.
Government only seems lawful as long as one agrees with it; and for the past 40 years much effort was spent on making many dependent on Big Daddy, hence not wanting to bite the hand that feeds them or rock the boat; from the corportocracy to politicians to the welfare queens and Bubba's bad back, all want a nanny and that check.
Both parties have collaborated well in bringing us to the current point. All the while pretending they disagree on issues.
As for criminals buying phones in bulk, remember everything has a bar code, lot #, etc. and can be traced to some point. And one just never knows when a tracking chip might be in something. I also know those trac phones are very easy to track back to though many assume they're not. Most people would not believe the technology the government is capable of; why more crime isn't solved is my question.
amj,
I believe it. The things I could tell you ... but it would take a book. ;-)
What would be the reason behind why three smaller phone companies, with mainly local business, contacted by The Associated Press on Tuesday also denied being approached by the NSA.
I think their something about it.
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