San Francisco Reevaluating AT&T

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Randall <rvh40 () insightbb com>
Date: July 12, 2006 3:10:43 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: dewayne () warpspeed com, cuckoosnest () riddlemaster org
Subject: San Francisco Reevaluating AT&T


Wednesday, July 12, 2006 at 3:06 AM EDT

(07-11) 14:02 PDT San Francisco (AP) --

City officials are investigating AT&T's alleged cooperation with the  
National Security Agency and considering possible "consequences" the  
company could face in its extensive municipal contracts here if it is  
violating civil liberties, Mayor Gavin Newsom said Tuesday.

"If what I'm reading is true, I've got some serious problems as a San  
Franciscan, as a taxpayer and as mayor," Newsom said in interview  
with The Associated Press. "And I don't like it."

A federal lawsuit filed by Internet privacy advocate Electronic  
Frontier Foundation accuses the telecommunications giant of illegally  
cooperating with the NSA to make communications on AT&T networks  
available to the spy agency without warrants. According to the  
lawsuit, AT&T allowed the NSA to install data.m.ining equipment in  
secret rooms at AT&T offices in San Francisco and a handful of other  
cities.

Last month, the government urged a federal judge to dismiss the suit,  
saying it threatens to reveal state secrets. The judge's decision is  
pending.

Newsom said he has asked City Attorney Dennis Herrera to conduct  
"fact-finding" on the matter. But the mayor also said he has  
completed his own compilation of "all of our current business  
relationships the city has with AT&T."

That review, which includes expiration dates and other obligations,  
"may be suggestive that if we conclude that this is sincerely  
problematic, there may be a desire to not just make a symbolic  
statement of opposition, but to make a substantive one."

The mayor said he did not know the value of AT&T's contracts with San  
Francisco. Nor would he provide a timetable for completion of the  
city attorney's probe.

"I recognize the ability, (from) a local perspective, to perhaps have  
a little more influence because we do have a strong relationship with  
AT&T and I'd like to continue that," he said.

"But I also think it's a two-way street," Newsom said. "If you're  
going do business with us, and San Francisco always has, we say,  
please help represent the values of the people that are actually  
purchasing those goods and services, meaning the taxpayers of this  
city."

The city attorney probably has the power to subpoena, Newsom said,  
adding that he did not know for sure. If true, that would mean the  
city might have the power to learn details of the program that have  
not been publicly disclosed.

The city attorney has not spoken directly to the NSA about its  
program, he said.

An AT&T spokesman, Michael Coe, declined to comment on the city  
review or the mayor's remarks.

He repeated a statement the company has issued repeatedly since  
published reports linked AT&T to the government's warrantless  
wiretapping programs several months ago.

"The fact is, AT&T does not give customer information to law  
enforcement authorities or government agencies without legal  
authorization," the statement says. "We have a statutory requirement  
to assist law enforcement and other government agencies responsible  
for protecting the public welfare, whether it be an individual or the  
security interests of the entire nation."


URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2006/07/11/ 
financial/f140225D55.DTL

..
My Original Writing blog:  http://itgotworse.blogsource.com


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