Once again, the telcos are proving that they can’t be trusted. They’ve censored free speech, attacked the open Internet and allowed spying on their networks. Both Verizon and AT&T have been caught handing over customer phone records to the National Security Agency (NSA). The phone companies first denied it and then started a quiet campaign with the White House to gain immunity from any lawsuits.

Siding with AT&T and against the Constitution

The campaign got a lot louder on Wednesday, when President Bush told reporters that he would veto a new FISA eavesdropping bill that doesn’t grant retroactive immunity to the phone companies. About 40 pending lawsuits name several telecommunications companies for alleged violations of wiretapping laws.

Despite the intense pressure from telco lobbyists and the Bush administration, Americans are telling Congress that they’re fed up with the abusive relationship between big telcos and the White House. On Wedensday, our representatives showed that they are listening. The House Judiciary Committee voted down an amendment to grant telcos legal immunity. Democrats will bring the bills to the full House for passage next week. The Senate Intelligence Committee will be introducing its own bill. The House move against immunity should serve as a guide for their colleagues across the Capitol dome.

Telecommunication companies are one of the biggest political donors in the United States. They have also worked hand-in-hand with the Bush administration to whittle away our constitutional freedoms, all the while seeking special policy favors and a rubber stamp for their mega-billion-dollar mergers. Today’s committee vote might be a sign that their political clout has its limits.

The ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are urging members to tell Congress to fight against any type of immunity for telcos.

Amnesty for AT&T and Verizon for illegally wiretapping Americans is a stunning example of the ways this White House sides with their corporate benefactors against the most fundamental democratic principles. The Bush administration would rather flout the laws for friends in high places than protect the free speech and privacy of law abiding Americans.

Phone companies simply cannot be trusted to act in good faith to protect the free flow of information. Congress must step in to protect speech over our phones, text messaging and the Internet with policies that keep the lines open, neutral and free of corporate and government gatekeepers.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 10th, 2007 at 5:02 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.-->