BellSouth denies giving call data to NSA

Telephone carrier denies turning over call records as part of the NSA's call-tracking program to detect terrorist plots.

The story "BellSouth denies giving call data to NSA" published May 15, 2006 at 9:20 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

Content from Reuters expires after 30 days.

[Zymurgist]

They didn't say the NSA didn't get the records.

BellSouth stated that "no contract exists" --
not that there was ever any implication of that.
Who would expect their to be a contract drawn up
and on file saying that they'd provide customer
records to US intelligence personnel in
violation of US law?

Also, "did not provide bulk customer calling
records" isn't the same as "never allowed access
to them". Nobody expects that they to copied
customer invoices onto floppies, they were
accused of permitting access to CDR data without
a warrant -- a specific charge that BellSouth
hasn't answered.

To Verizon's credit, their customer service
people told me that their activities with the
NSA are understandably confidential and they
wouldn't provide any information. They at least
admit the relationship (as AT&T has).

Nonetheless, I'm lodging complaints wherever I
can so that the powers that be don't get the
mistaken impression that nobody gives a damn.