Did Telcos Hire "Scapegoat" To Give NSA Phone Records?

[LiviaOlivia]

Did Telcos Hire "Scapegoat" To Give NSA Phone Records?
By Paul Kiel and Justin Rood - May 19, 2006, 3:42 PM

A new Business Week article may help explain how AT&T and BellSouth can say they didn't help the NSA, despite the spy agency having millions of their records showing the call details of Americans using their networks.

The magazine reveals a hidden corner of the telecommunications world: a small group of companies who specialize in granting the government access to telecommunications records, conversations and real-time data on behalf of the telecom giants.

That's right: the government now makes so many requests for wiretaps, phone records and call information that an industry has sprung up to handle the load.

Rather than respond themselves to requests from the FBI and others, a telco can sign up with one of these companies, give them access to their call records and equipment, and let that third party do all the hard work.

~snip~

the rest at:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/000698.php

[eFriendly]

1. Guilty by association

It doesn't matter if BellSouth, AT&T, or Verizon (or any other company) didn't physically give the information to the NSA themselves. Just the fact that they allowed a "scapegoat" company to covertly go through their databanks is enough to hold the telco's personally accountable.

I don't believe that this legalese will fly too far with the American people.

[peacetalksforall]

2. A question - do the companies on the internet that charge a fee to

spill personal information about people get their data from the phone companies? Does anyone know who they are. Strictly independent entrepreuners? Or might they be the middle companies that are alluded to here? They are making money on info that they steal from us?