Reply #3: My response at that website

[leveymg]

to an Anonymous poster who claims that immunity for telcos is needed, lest the consumer have to pay the cost. That poster doesn't understand how the American bankruptcy system works - the only one who would have to pay would be the executives and officials who authorized warrantless wiretaps. This is my response:

Dear Anon (above) -

Those who wrote the FISA law intended that AT&T, which then had a near-monopoly on long-distance lines, act in its own interest and report to the FISA Court any demands made by gov't agencies to carry out warrantless surveillance. The criminal and civil penalties built into the Act are the incentive to the telcos to enforce the Act.

The telcos later failed to act in their own self-interest, and should now pay. Let them go into bankruptcy and better management will take over their assets.