Originally Posted - June 27, 2006

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NEW YORK---Backed by the mounting support of thousands of New Yorkers who have signed onto a request for investigation in the past two weeks, the New York Civil Liberties Union has again called upon Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and the Consumer Protection Board to investigate allegations that New York telephone service providers AT&T and Verizon have improperly shared customer telephone records with the National Security Agency.

"The FCC has refused to exercise its authority to investigate this violation of privacy, and Congress has failed to demand answers," said Donna Lieberman, NYCLU executive director. "Even the New York Public Services Commission, which is directly responsible for regulating telecommunications companies, has refused to investigate, claiming that it has no jurisdiction over consumer privacy issues. Now 4,033 more New Yorkers have added their names to a second request urging Spitzer and the Consumer Protection Board to take action and vindicate our rights."

On May 23, the FCC announced that it would not pursue complaints about the phone companies' alleged collusion with the NSA. In a letter sent shortly thereafter, thousands of New Yorkers joined the NYCLU and its 48,000 members to demand that the State of New York Department of Public Service initiate a state-level investigation. But in a response from the State Department of Public Services, which the NYCLU received on June 14, that agency also refused to initiate an investigation. 6-27-06

© 2006 North Country Gazette