NSA Spying
The U.S. government, with assistance from major telecommunications carriers including AT&T, has engaged in a massive program of illegal dragnet surveillance of domestic communications and communications records of millions of ordinary Americans since at least 2001.
News reports in December 2005 first revealed that the National Security Agency (NSA) has been intercepting Americans’ phone calls and Internet communications. Those news reports, plus a USA Today story in May 2006 and the statements of several members of Congress, revealed that the NSA is also receiving wholesale copies of their telephone and other communications records. All of these surveillance activities are in violation of the privacy safeguards established by Congress and the U.S. Constitution.
The evidence also shows that the government did not act alone. EFF has obtained whistleblower evidence [PDF] from former AT&T technician Mark Klein showing that AT&T is cooperating with the illegal surveillance. The undisputed documents show that AT&T installed a fiberoptic splitter at its facility at 611 Folsom Street in San Francisco that makes copies of all emails, web browsing, and other Internet traffic to and from AT&T customers, and provides those copies to the NSA. This copying includes both domestic and international Internet activities of AT&T customers. As one expert observed, “this isn’t a wiretap, it’s a country-tap.”
EFF is fighting these illegal activities on multiple fronts. In Hepting v. AT&T, EFF filed the first case against a telecom for violating its customers' privacy. In addition, EFF is representing victims of the illegal surveillance program in Jewel v. NSA, a lawsuit filed in September 2008 against the government seeking to stop the warrantless wiretapping and hold the government officials behind the program accountable.
EFF is not alone in this fight. There are multiple cases challenging various parts of the illegal surveillance against both the telecoms and the government. This page collects information on EFF's cases as well as cases brought by individuals, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and of Illinois, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and others.
Deeplinks Posts
- August 13, 2010 EFF Files Appeal of Warrantless Wiretapping Case Jewel v. NSA
- July 02, 2010 Fight Against Telco Immunity Continues in Court of Appeals
- March 31, 2010 Court Rejects Government's Executive Power Claims and Rules That Warrantless Wiretapping Violated Law
Litigation Documents
- Al Haramain v. BushThis case alleges targeting of the leaders of an Islamic charity and their lawyers by the admitted, targeted warrantless wiretapping by the NSA.
- NSA Spying - State Administrator CasesThese six cases were brought by the federal government against various state administrators.
- Jewel v. NSAEFF's case against the NSA.
- Hepting v. AT&TEFF's class-action lawsuit against AT&T.
- Shubert v BushA class action alleging wholesale dragnet surveillance of ordinary Americans.
- CCR v BushThis case is brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights on behalf of lawyers and others working with the Guantanamo Bay prisoners.
- Verizon / MCIA complaint on behalf of customers against various Verizon and MCI entities.
- NSA Multi-District LitigationDocuments relating to all cases.
Press Releases
- February 09, 2010 Appeals Court Backs EFF Push for Telecom Lobbying Documents Disclosure
- January 21, 2010 EFF Plans Appeal of Jewel v. NSA Warrantless Wiretapping Case
- November 12, 2009 EFF Obtains Records from Behind-the-Scenes Negotiations on Telecom Immunity
Other Resources
- Evidence One-Pager [PDF]Summarizing the technical evidence of AT&T's complicity.
- EFF NSA Graphics
- Archive of Documents Used by EFF to Lobby Against Telco Immunity in 2007, 2008
- American Civil Liberties Union's FISA Page[aclu.org]
- EPIC's FISA Archive[epic.org]
- Federation of America Scientists' FISA Page[fas.org]

Want to learn how you can defend free speech, stand up for privacy, fight for government transparency, support consumer rights, and protect your right to innovation in the digital world? Visit http://eff.org/fight to find ways to help.