Privacy advocates claim big win over “Big Brother”
The Creator has a stake in all things of creation—including creatures, the psalmist reminds us this Sunday. Does the National Security Agency, however, have a stake in everything you do on your computer or phone? That is the constitutional question of the hour after a federal judge ruled . . .
The Creator has a stake in all things of creation—including creatures, the psalmist reminds us this Sunday. Does the National Security Agency (NSA), however, have a stake in everything you do on your computer or phone? That is the constitutional question of the hour after a federal judge ruled Monday that the NSA program which collects information on nearly all telephone calls made to, from, or within the United States is likely unconstitutional.
Judge Richard J. Leon of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia described the NSA technology as “almost Orwellian” and suggesting that James Madison would be “aghast” to learn that the government was encroaching on liberty in such a way.
“I cannot imagine a more ‘indiscriminate’ and ‘arbitrary’ invasion than this systematic and high-tech collection and retention of personal data on virtually every single citizen for purposes of querying and analyzing it without prior judicial approval,” Leon wrote in a 68-page ruling. “Surely, such a program infringes on ‘that degree of privacy’ that the founders enshrined in the Fourth Amendment,” which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.
The judge ordered the government to stop collecting data on the personal calls of the two plaintiffs in the case and to destroy the records of their calling history. But Leon, appointed to the bench in 2002 by President George W. Bush, stayed his injunction “in light of the significant national security interests at stake in this case and the novelty of the constitutional issues,” allowing the government time to appeal it, which he said could take at least six months.
In related news a panel of outside advisers urged President Barack Obama on Wednesday to impose major restrictions on the NSA, arguing that in the past dozen years its powers had been enhanced at the expense of personal privacy.
Homily hint: While citizens have a right to privacy from intrusive government searches, there are no secrets when it comes to one's relationship with God. Encourage those in your community to partake of the healing available through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Judge Richard J. Leon of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia described the NSA technology as “almost Orwellian” and suggesting that James Madison would be “aghast” to learn that the government was encroaching on liberty in such a way.
“I cannot imagine a more ‘indiscriminate’ and ‘arbitrary’ invasion than this systematic and high-tech collection and retention of personal data on virtually every single citizen for purposes of querying and analyzing it without prior judicial approval,” Leon wrote in a 68-page ruling. “Surely, such a program infringes on ‘that degree of privacy’ that the founders enshrined in the Fourth Amendment,” which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.
The judge ordered the government to stop collecting data on the personal calls of the two plaintiffs in the case and to destroy the records of their calling history. But Leon, appointed to the bench in 2002 by President George W. Bush, stayed his injunction “in light of the significant national security interests at stake in this case and the novelty of the constitutional issues,” allowing the government time to appeal it, which he said could take at least six months.
In related news a panel of outside advisers urged President Barack Obama on Wednesday to impose major restrictions on the NSA, arguing that in the past dozen years its powers had been enhanced at the expense of personal privacy.
Homily hint: While citizens have a right to privacy from intrusive government searches, there are no secrets when it comes to one's relationship with God. Encourage those in your community to partake of the healing available through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Sources: Articles by David E. Sanger and Charlie Savage for the New York TImes