douglasperkins (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} douglasperkins) wrote in foobart, |
Of course there are two aspects to the FISA law -- one to stop the feds from doing illegal snooping and the other to stop the telcos from letting it happen. This second clause was added to FISA to keep groups like AT&T from doing what AT&T did (and is doing) because it was recognized in the 60s and 70s that the Executive Branch was bad at self-policing.
The cases against the feds have not gone anywhere either because of a lack of standing of the plaintiffs (if you can't show harm it's hard to make a judge hear the case) or state secrets defense. All of the big facts that are pertinent to the class action against AT&T have been publicly confirmed by executive branch officials, and so the judge in San Francisco decided the case should go forward.
The cases against the feds have not gone anywhere either because of a lack of standing of the plaintiffs (if you can't show harm it's hard to make a judge hear the case) or state secrets defense. All of the big facts that are pertinent to the class action against AT&T have been publicly confirmed by executive branch officials, and so the judge in San Francisco decided the case should go forward.
