Telecom spying: don’t just get mad -- get even. Here's how:

[newswolf56]

Boiling over with justifiable fury at the wanton betrayal of our privacy by telecom fat cats?

A Washington state woman has come up with a perfect suggestion on how to monkey-wrench this latest and most glaring suppression of our civil liberties and Constitutional rights: cite the violation of your privacy as criminal breach of contract (which in fact it is) and cancel your service agreement accordingly.

Indeed if enough people are aware of their rights under basic contract law -- the legal fact that a contract broken is a contract nullified -- a grassroots contract-cancellation movement might surely blossom from this outrage. Were millions of customers to angrily cancel their service agreements, it would hit capitalism in the only place it feels pain: its revenues. Which would teach AT&T, Bell South and Verizon a lesson their smugly lawbreaking executives will never forget.

For those not fully aware of how the fascism-loving plutocrats at AT&T, Bell South and Verizon are helping the Bush Regime destroy our remaining Constitutional freedoms, the most recent disclosure is here:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm

An earlier story, also by USA Today, implicates Sprint (Nextel) and MCI as well as AT&T:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-05-nsa-telecoms_x.htm

In addition, all of us whose servers have electronically stolen our citizenship and thereby reduced us to subjugation should join in the class action suit against the offenders -- smirking corporate tyrants who are not only pandering to the most dangerously oppressive regime in U.S. history but are literally getting rich by betraying our privacy. Access to the class action suit is here:

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/verizon_wiretap_classaction

Sign up now. The freedom we’re defending is our own.


_________
Edit: bad link.

[Liberty Belle]

1. Kick! Any lawyers here to confirm we can do this?

[ancient_nomad]

2. This is Great! Thanks for posting. KnR n/t

:kick:

[bleever]

3. What, I'm the first recommend on this? Come one!

John Dean was on with K. Olbermann pointing out that at a couple thousand bucks per infraction, the telecom companies, with over 200 million served up, had some rather large liabilities looming if people pursued their BASIC RIGHTS under their SERVICE AGREEMENTS with regard to this (paid/and/or/unpaid) secret arrangement with the NSA.

"Patriots! Countrymen! Stockholders! Lend me your ears!"

An actual cause of action. Not between Titans, but between the Great Pillars of Commerce, and termites that they feed, and feed off of.

[thecrow]

4. Please explain how this case relates to the NSA spying...?

<<Class action status is being sought in a lawsuit filed against Verizon Wireless on behalf of subscribers. The suit alleges that the wireless carrier is a common carriers, and therefore may not negotiate with their customers. The suit was filed by Cleveland-area subscriber Jacqueline Orloff after she discovered that another customer was getting better concessions from the company. >>

That was from Oct 2003.
Is there a more recent class action, and where can one find information on it?

[newswolf56]

5. Bad link since corrected (see above). My apology:

My source accidentally sent me the wrong link, and I compounded the error by failing to verify its content before I posted it. Again my apology; very good catch and many thanks.

_________
Edit: addition of thanks surely due.

[sepia_steel]

6. Question, and kick

Many people rely on these services. Is there a better company we can go to for cell phones, etc?

[BrklynLiberal]

7. Check out Working Assets.

http://www.workingassets.com/

[SlipperySlope]

8. workingassets = sprint network

Working Assets doesn't own their own equipment, they are just remarketing the Sprint network and getting a few cents out of the deal.

Just FYI...

[freefall]

14. Also the credit cards they offer are through MBNA one of the most

predatory of lenders. FYI

Peace,

freefall

[BrklynLiberal]

17. Thanks for the insight. Guess Working Assets is off the list.

[newswolf56]

9. Here's more information on Qwest's bold defiance of the regime,

including (from the original report in The New York Times, but curiously absent from the Truthout summary) information about probable Bush-ordered retaliation against Qwest's chief executive:

"Mr. Nacchio made inquiry as to whether a warrant or other legal process had been secured in support of that request."

"When he learned that no such authority had been granted, and that there was a disinclination on the part of the authorities to use any legal process," Mr. Nacchio concluded that the requests violated federal privacy requirements "and issued instructions to refuse to comply."

The statement said the requests continued until Mr. Nacchio left in June 2002. His departure came amid accusations of fraud at the company, and he now faces federal charges of insider trading.

Full text of The Times report (also available via Truthhout) requires Times registration and is available here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/13/washington/13phone.html?hp&ex=1147579200&en=a4043f2e748ca48a&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Breeze54]

11. How would I make phone calls, if I took the suggestion?

:shrug:
I need a PHONE!! :)

Did you read this??
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x1175891%20

Or this??
Nacchio was forced to step down because of "insider trading charges"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Nacchio

or this?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1168887&mesg_id=1168887

Just wondering....

I'm stuck with verizon and Working Assets isn't an option.
They only offer long distance THROUGH Verizon!!!! :grr:

But I think I'm already in the class action filed against Verizon
on Friday in NYC, just by virtue of being a customer.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-14-nsa-lawsuits_x.htm

Lawsuit over phone records may grow
Updated 5/14/2006 11:41 PM ET
By Andrea Stone, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON —

A lawyer who sued Verizon last week on claims it violated privacy laws
by turning over calling records to the National Security Agency said
Sunday that customers of AT&T and BellSouth want to join the lawsuit.

New Jersey public-interest lawyer Bruce Afran said he and Carl Mayer,
an associate of consumer activist Ralph Nader, will decide this week
whether to expand the federal lawsuit they filed Friday. It seeks to
stop Verizon from providing any more records without a warrant or a
subscriber's consent.

"This program is without question the largest intrusion into civil
liberties committed by any American administration," Afran said.
If other telecommunications companies are named,
"it may be the largest class-action ever filed," he said.

The lawsuit seeks $1,000 for every violation of the Communications Act,
first passed in 1934, or at least $50 billion for Verizon customers alone.

More at Link.....



I wish I could! ;(

[FormerOstrich]

20. If you need a phone you can follow this and still have one...

You can buy pre-paid cell phones at grocery stores and Wal-Mart (I know I avoid them). If you pay cash for the phone and always use cash to buy the minutes (on a card), you don't have to identify yourself.

It may cost a little more but you can stay anonymous.

[Breeze54]

24. Then how do I get online???

I already have a 'throw-away' cellphone, for emergencies.
But you can't get internet service without a phoneline.
Not even DSL or Cable. You have to have a working landline.

There aren't any options. Those companies have a monopoly.

:grr: :grr:

[Renew Deal]

10. Has anyone looked into the law in NY State?

Maybe Spitzer?

[hwmnbn]

12. Kick for the morning crowd ......

I don't have any of these companies as my telecom provider. This moveon.org type of grass roots movement specifically targeting the telecom's pocketbook would be a good example of how we can take back control.

I think it's a great idea. :thumbsup:

[crispini]

13. kick

[paparush]

15. Kick

[newswolf56]

16. Kick for the afternoon folks. (n/t)

:kick:

[Quantess]

18. Kick

interesting idea....

[file83]

19. Is T-Mobile guilty?

Because I'm not ready to switch back to smoke signals and tin-cans with strings just yet.

[Rainscents]

21. I guess, we can all cancel our landline and go out and buy throw away

cell phone... This is what, we are going up against.

[omega minimo]

22. !

:thumbsup:

[NoSheep]

23. Please respond: I am signing up on the site for this CALS. Is this ok?

I'm doing it..but I'm wondering if it is just a net for me to get trapped in. Maybe my vote will be disqualified in an election...or worse.