Have you ever jokingly said during a phone conversation or in
an email or text that you hope the government isn’t listening in?
Well, it’s not such a funny joke these days. The
AP reported on recently released FBI domestic surveillance guidelines last
week, which reveal broad and unclear authority to spy on Americans who are not
involved in crime or terrorism. Acting Director of the ACLU’s Washington
Legislative Office Michael Macleod-Ball
noted the FBI’s history of abusing its authority to spy on people. He
calls for “clear, bright, and easily understood” guidelines in order to prevent
abuses of power and for greater accountability when abuse of power does occur.
In other privacy efforts, the ACLU today appealed the
dismissal of its lawsuit challenging an unconstitutional government spying law.
The ACLU and the New York Civil Liberties Union filed the landmark lawsuit in
July 2008 to stop the government from conducting surveillance under the FISA
Amendments Act, which gives the executive
branch virtually unchecked power to sweep up Americans' international e-mails
and telephone calls. A US District Judge dismissed the case, saying that the
plaintiff’s cannot prove standing since they cannot prove their communications
had been monitored. The secrecy of the
surveillance makes it possible that
that no one will ever be able to prove what the court says is required, which is
why the ACLU is appealed the dismissal.
I hope that through our efforts, one day we won’t have to
joke about the government spying on us without our knowledge.