Comments on: Congress to revisit expanded spy law next week

Hearing scheduled for next week may be first step in addressing widespread complaints about new federal spying powers signed into law earlier this month.

[Possibill]

Is everyone afraid to respond because...

they don't want to get put on the eavesdropping list...

[BoulderSue]

Evesdropping/PAA

If you are afraid you are going to be put on the list it must mean you're doing something bad, according to some friends of mine, and probably plenty of others,including members of Congress. That is one ****-poor reaction! Members of Congress have been stopped by airport security, for heaven's sake! At this point I think it would be a badge of honor to be on any of Mr. Bush's lists. Remember Nixon's enemies list? I seem to recall some very good people being proud of being on it and others disappointed when they found out they were not.

[majarosh]

Humorous or hubris?

Possibill,
I'm not sure if your being humorous (if so, good on ya', Mate) or illeberal.
The only way someone who responds can "get put on the eavesdropping list" is if they are a person "reasonably believed to be located outside the United States" and meet the conditions set out previously in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.

Knowing what the ammendment actuall says would be helpful to the discussion.
If you were actually trying to make a "funny", OK! We sure could use a few laughs.

[majarosh]

Does accuracy matter?

Anne wrote:
"Meanwhile, the president and his intelligence advisers are angling for further changes--including immunity for telephone companies that have complied with government surveillance requests--to the so-called Protect America Act, which is currently scheduled to expire six months after it was made law."

The immunity is already included in the ammendment, which BTW, the official short title is "Protect America Act-2007".



`"(l) Notwithstanding any other law, no cause of action shall lie in any court against any person for providing any information, facilities, or assistance in accordance with a directive under this section."

[AnneBroache]

Immunity

The general understanding is that the provision of the law you quoted immunizes companies going forward, but not in cases that arose before the law was passed. There's more on that in the FAQ we published a few weeks ago:
http://news.com.com/FAQ+How+far+does+the+new+wiretap+law+go/2100-1029_3-6201032.html
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