New AT&T Slogan: "Reach Out and Wiretap Someone."

AT&T has been giving phone records, going back to 1987, to the DEA and other cops. All the cops have to do is give Ma Bell a glorified letter and AT&T just coughs it right up.*

Hell, AT&T even has their people sitting next to the DEA in offices around the country to make it easier for the narco-feds to get the information they want. And the DEA pays AT&T for loaning them people.

Don't bother switching to another phone carrier, for Narcing-Bell is giving them everything that goes across the U.S. phone system.

Because the information is collected by a corporation (rather than the NSA) and then sold to the government, that's supposed to be OK? For that is the quibble that the DoJ's spokes-troll ladled out to the reporters.

No such thing as "private communications" anymore. Not unless you're having it face-to-face and you've left your cell phones behind (and you're where they can't get a mike trained at you).

Oh, and as to the revelation that the NSA is spying on foreign leaders, well no fucking shit. That's their goddamned job.
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* They call it an "adminstrative subpoena", which is bullshit, for no judge signs off on them.