Score one for the ACLU and the EFF!
May 7th, 2008 | by Dusty | Published in Politics
H/T to EmptyWheel for reporting on this. Seems the ACLU and the fine folks at EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) have scored a victory against the FBI and their scurilous NSL’s (National Security Letter). From the EFF press release:
The FBI has withdrawn an unconstitutional national security letter (NSL) issued to the Internet Archive after a legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). As the result of a settlement agreement, the FBI withdrew the NSL and agreed to the unsealing of the case, finally allowing the Archive’s founder to speak out for the first time about his battle against the record demand.
*snip*
The NSL included a gag order, prohibiting Kahle from discussing the letter and the legal issues it presented with the rest of the Archive’s Board of Directors or anyone else except his attorneys, who were also gagged. The gag also prevented the ACLU and EFF from discussing the NSL with members of Congress, even though an ACLU lawyer who represents the Archive recently testified at a congressional hearing about the FBI’s misuse of NSLs.
“This is a great victory for the Archive and also the Constitution,” said Melissa Goodman, staff attorney with the ACLU. “It appears that every time a national security letter recipient has challenged an NSL in court and forced the government to justify it, the government has ultimately withdrawn its demand for records. In the absence of much needed judicial oversight - and with recipients silenced and the public in the dark - there is nothing to stop the FBI from abusing its NSL power.”
Bless those patriotic folks that fight the good fight at the ACLU and the EFF. Without them, the snoopers would be getting away with murder…if they aren’t already.
