Senator probes privacy law after Obama phone record breach

In light of the recent breach of President-elect Barack Obama's cell phone records, a senator on Monday sent a letter (PDF) to the Justice Department asking how many investigations or prosecutions the department has undertaken for violations of the Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) sent the letter to Matthew Friedrich, acting assistant attorney general, noting that "data privacy breaches involving the sensitive phone records of ordinary Americans are occurring with greater frequency."

The Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act, which Leahy sponsored and Congress passed in 2007, prohibits telecommunications carriers from obtaining confidential phone records by accessing customer accounts through the Internet without permission. Along with information about prosecutions and investigations, the letter asks whether the department has found the law effective in protecting Americans' privacy.

Obama's cell phone records were improperly accessed earlier this month by Verizon Wireless employees who were subsequently fired.

[man_w_balls]

Oh yes, they are SO concerned with privacy. Until someone mentions TURRISTS!
Record all phone calls! Turrists!!

[techman21]

Are you trying to say "tourists" or "terrorists"??

[solitare_pax]

Hard to say - he seems to be typing with a southern drawl there.

[fdunn3]

I think he is spelling it like 'W' pronounces it.

[Dalkorian]

LOL - I doubt if fuhrer bushit has the mental capacity to understand the difference, hence the pronunciation abuse.

Please don't point out how wrong I am, that prospect is much more frightening. Can't we all just be happy with the idea that come January we might be able to send this treasonous criminal turrist to the Hague for war crimes and crimes against humanity trials? PLEASE??

[fdunn3]

This information theft goes far beyond employees within Verizon.

Take any law enforcement officer that happens to be a friend and ask them to get a reverse 911 number from an address because it is unlisted..presto!
Ask the same for any records on anybody...presto!

I am certainly not against the legitimate use of this widely available data but I think that all lookups should be logged. If an instance comes up where it appears that the only means that the information could have leaked was through a friendly law enforcement individual then they should be able to look up any instances of that data being retrieved and the date, the person, and the reason.

There is no such thing as privacy anymore.

Want to find someone? Look up the county tax appraisors listings, county marriage records.

[Straga03]

A problem with that is if one was to set up a proxy accountant (new employee), or some one went for coffee...problem! For the problem still extist and the actual person is harder to catch and you fired the employee that does not exist OR the honest one that just wanted a cup of joe.

[Dalkorian]

Nothing will come of this because they'll find the repukes authorized it. Repukes think they are above the law, above the Constitution. That is why they are all LOSERS!

America can once again rejoice. The nazi's have again been defeated. We can now start repairing the damage that 8 years of illegal fuhrer bushit rule have wrought upon us.

[For_The_Record]

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) is deeply cares about LEAKS????
I wonder when that started?? Privacy Protection is not an option for those who oppose "The Obama Nation" Just ask Joe the Plumber

[hukuk]

Everybody say there is no privacy at the world. If somebody want to listen our phone, he must take firstly judgement approval.
http://www.hukuki.net (Turkish law site)