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FISHKILL---A Fishkill attorney has filed a class action lawsuit against Verizon Communications Inc. alleging and accusing the telecom provider of violating the law and the privacy of its customers by allegedly collaborating with the National Security Agency in what the attorney terms NSA’s “massive and illegal program to wiretap and data-mine Americans’ communications”.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by Michael S. Pascazi, alleges that Verizon has opened its key telecommunications facilities and databases to direct access by the NSA and/or other government agencies, thereby, disclosing to the government the contents of its customers', and others', communications, as well as detailed communications records about millions of its customers' and others, whose communications pass over and through Verizon's telecommunications facilities, including the lawsuit's class members.
It seeks $20 billion in damages.
Pascazi is the former president of the now defunct Fiber Optek Interconnect Corp., a private firm that built fiber optic lines for carriers. In addition to practicing law, Pascazi says he’s started a biotechnology company.
In December 2005, the press revealed that the government had instituted a comprehensive and warrantless electronic surveillance program that ignored the careful safeguards set forth by Congress. This surveillance program, purportedly authorized by the President at least as early as 2001 and primarily undertaken by the NSA, allegedly intercepts and analyzes the communications of millions of ordinary Americans, Pascazi says.
The lawsuit alleges that Verizon has given the government unfettered access to its over 19,000 gigabyte databases of information; some of the largest databases in the world. Moreover, it is alleged that by opening its network and databases to wholesale surveillance by the NSA, Verizon has violated the privacy of its customers and the people they call and email, as well as broken longstanding communications privacy laws.
The lawsuit further alleges that Verizon continues to assist the government in its secret surveillance of millions of Americans.
For a copy of the Class Action Complaint, filed in Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York, go to www.pascazilaw.com. 2-24-06
© 2005 North
Country Gazette
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