Comments on: Protesters face off with Verizon, AT&T

Groups gather across U.S. to protest phone companies' influence in D.C. and well-reported cooperation with National Security Agency.
Photos: Protesting phone companies

[Ray1024]

Tired of the Noise

I think that it is about time to have this stop. The news media has turned nothing into an uproar. As long as the Government is not listening to the conversations they should have full access to the record of who is being called by whom, if it stops criminal or terror attacks. Let?s stop making trouble and tell the truth about what is going on. The only ones that would protest then is the criminals.

The people out walking the streets in protest of the Phone companies should find better things to do with their lives like get a job.

[DudeDragon]

Freedom!

You can give up YOUR freedoms if you want, but not MINE!

[capesp50]

Agree with Tired of the Noise

If you aren't doing anything illegal why would you care who is looking at your telephone calls. I agree the media is blowing this totally out of proportion. In fact in this article 50-60 people in New York City or a dozen people in San Francisco. That is hardly a crowd! Let the NSA do there business of keeping us save from terrorism and other criminal activity.

[unknown unknown]

You don't get it.

"The news media has turned nothing into an uproar."

I would hardly call warrentless surveillance and accumulation of phone records for million of innocent Americans nothing.


"As long as the Government is not listening to the conversations they should have full access to the record of who is being called by whom, if it stops criminal or terror attacks."


We don't know they're not listening to conversation because most of the details are classsified. All we do have is the governments words (I am not inclined to take the government at it's word when it's lied so many times in the past) and a lot of stone-walling by the AG and others. The FBI was recently found to be illegally keeping files on groups like Green Peace and others that have been vocal critics of the administrations policies. There is real potential for abuse, and there is a history of past abuses.


"The only ones that would protest then is the criminals."

That's completely false. There are people who expect the government to abide by the law and only invade their privacy when necessarly ie. when they have warrant issued by a judge and have shown probable cause.


"The people out walking the streets in protest of the Phone companies should find better things to do with their lives like get a job."

Do you know for a fact those people don't have jobs? I didn't think so. It's clear you have little in the way of argument if all you can do is belittle people who don't agree with you.

[stobiemas]

Noise?

As we approach Memorial Day, it would be nice to really give
thought about the thousands upon thousands who have died to
preserve our freedom. Have they sacrificed their lives in vein?

Privacy is a basic and necessary human right. No individual nor
government body have the right to invade our private space
without merit. The collection of data is too broad and there are
no safeguards in place to ensure this information won't be used
in other ways.

I was watching "The Sound of Music" with my daughter over the
weekend and was struck by a very profound line, as the Nazis
seized control of Austria: "We make it our business to know
everything."

It is short-sighted to believe that NSA domestic spying is for our
own good. Even the Patriot Act- nothing more than a band-aide
in the face of crisis- should be allowed to prevail over the course
of time. History has proven time and time again that greed and
corruption topple all great empires. When our forefathers
drafted our constitutional rights, they were well aware of a
simple fact: Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

[Tomcat Adam]

Guilty or Innocent, it doesn't 'freaking' matter.

It doesn't matter whether or not people are doing something illegal. The administrations of the world have a horrible policy of abusing information and control over the general population.
-------------------

Look at it from a bigger point of view:
Goal of Terrorists: Destroy or deficate on the values of the enemy, bring them 'in line; with your people.
Seems to me that by removing your freedoms for ANY reason you're giving into the terrorists.
Seems mighty unpatriotic to me.
------------------
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" -Benjamin Franklin.

[209979377489953107664053243186]

privacy is important after all

It's good to see that the ambivalence towards the lack of actual privacy in communications is fading. But, connect the dots, people. If your phone records are available to scrutiny, so is your email. Do the masses want private email as well? At least with email, you can get privacy yourself by using encyption software that keeps even you ISP out. Want to keep it truly private? Stay off the phone and use encrypted email like Taceo instead.
http://www.essentialsecurity.com/products.htm

[t86y]

The Next Generation

EXACTLY!!!! but hey think about how our freedoms keep diminishing (sp?). I'm 20, and I know for a fact that when my grand children are 20 I'll be yelling save our freedom and they will be going
"Oh grandpa your such a fudy dudy (sp?). I don't care if my microchips in my close say exactly where I am at exactly what time"

[tnugent]

What next generation?

If the government doesn't defeat the jiahdis, there won't be any next generaton, or if there is, they will be radiated mutants asking you, "Daddy, why didn't you let the government stop the terrorists before they turned us into this?"

[tnugent]

Protesters are de facto suicide bombers

leave it to the NY ACLU to in effect try to call in an air strike on its own position by sicing Elliott Spitzer on phone companies doing their patriotic duty to help the federal government protect their customers.

This is de facto suicide bombing of those of us who have the common sense to realize stopping terorism is worth the risk of having Uncle Sam know where we order our pizzas.

Hopefully Spitzer will rise above his usual electioneering populism and realize that having his fingerprints on the sequel to 9/11 would not be good for his career.

[mgreere]

Know history or network analysis?

If you read up on them, you won't look like a tool.