Report: AT&T Is Spying on Americans For Profit The Daily Beast notes that AT&T has found itself at the center of yet another surveillance scandal. Back in 2013 the New York Times reported that AT&T had developed, marketed and sold to law enforcement a service dubbed "Project Hemisphere." Project Hemisphere provided the DEA and other federal and state law enforcement real-time access to data on nearly every single call that touches the AT&T network. The report notes that this database went as far back as 1987, and well exceeds even the NSA's massive surveillance dragnets in some regards.

quote: Hemisphere isn’t a “partnership” but rather a product AT&T developed, marketed, and sold at a cost of millions of dollars per year to taxpayers. No warrant is required to make use of the company’s massive trove of data, according to AT&T documents, only a promise from law enforcement to not disclose Hemisphere if an investigation using it becomes public. Much like the company's relationship with the NSA, AT&T appears to have gone much further than was legally required in order to make its ongoing relationship with intelligence and law enforcement profitable, notes the report: quote: While telecommunications companies are legally obligated to hand over records, AT&T appears to have gone much further to make the enterprise profitable, according to ACLU technology policy analyst Christopher Soghoian. "Companies have to give this data to law enforcement upon request, if they have it. AT&T doesn’t have to data-mine its database to help police come up with new numbers to investigate,” Soghoian said. Granted AT&T has long been accused of not only cooperating with law enforcement and the surveillance sector, but actively providing advice how best to bypass While the Times report stated the project was a necessary "partnership" between AT&T and the DEA, documents obtained by the Daily Beast indicate that the project is something notably different, and very profitable, for AT&T:Much like the company's relationship with the NSA, AT&T appears to have gone much further than was legally required in order to make its ongoing relationship with intelligence and law enforcement profitable, notes the report:Granted AT&T has long been accused of not only cooperating with law enforcement and the surveillance sector, but actively providing advice how best to bypass US privacy and wiretapping laws . The biggest, of course, came courtesy of AT&T employee turned whistleblower Mark Klein, who documented how AT&T was giving the NSA wholesale access to every shred of data that touched the AT&T network via live fiber splits via dedicated rooms at key AT&T central offices. In this case, AT&T was making a profit on one end of the equation by charging law enforcement between $100,000 and $1 million annually to access the hemisphere program. On the other end of the line, AT&T until recently was busy charging its broadband customers a steep premium if they wanted to protect their "privacy." The latest revelation of AT&T's ultra-cozy relationship with government and law enforcement comes as consumer advocates argue the company's latest $85 billion expansion plan could make a wide variety of anti-competitive and privacy issues that have long plagued AT&T notably worse. Those interested can find a full copy of the leaked AT&T documents Those interested can find a full copy of the leaked AT&T documents here (pdf).







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Most recommended from 45 comments

RFC_7511

join:2016-10-12

Phoenix, AZ 28 recommendations RFC_7511 Member Shocked? I'm barley surprised... I won't even feign surprise anymore. People will be outraged and nothing will change and then we'll all make the same comments when the next big revelation is made.

compuguybna

join:2009-06-17

Nashville, TN 8 recommendations compuguybna Member AT&T has snooped for years.



Google Room 641A.



internet traffic has been filtered thru AT&T server's for YEARS.



What is so funny is that "CLAIMS" to have stopped deep inspection from their uverse internet (previously you had to pay extra to "snoop out".........Actually no proof they will EVER stop it, just makes American's feel better to hear AT&T say they've stopped.



Attached pic of Spyroom... AT&T has ben spying on American's for years . . . Go back to some lawsuits from 2006...Google Room 641A.internet traffic has been filtered thru AT&T server's for YEARS.What is so funny is that "CLAIMS" to have stopped deep inspection from their uverse internet (previously you had to pay extra to "snoop out".........Actually no proof they will EVER stop it, just makes American's feel better to hear AT&T say they've stopped.Attached pic of Spyroom...

Anonc9099

@comcast.net 7 recommendations Anonc9099 Anon Verizon, Comcast, and every major phone company and isp Hate to break it to you but every major phone company and internet service provider (isp) have been doing this for years. Kearnstd

Space Elf

Premium Member

join:2002-01-22

Mullica Hill, NJ 6 recommendations Kearnstd Premium Member Never shocked A company selling our data for profits?



I would be more surprised if it was a telecom CEO in court for refusing to comply with data requests including those should be illegal NSLs from the unamerican FISA court.

tshirt

Premium Member

join:2004-07-11

Snohomish, WA 6 recommendations tshirt Premium Member So If they did this voluntarily..... ... they don't deserve the "safe harbor" that a subpoena would provide, and thus may have violated their own privacy policies.

This certainly contrary to the privacy policy disclosure on their website, and may leave them open to federal investigation/fines or class action suit (if they choose not to follow/be bound their own TOS, why should you?

Also, some people paid extra to OPT-OUT of information sharing with "partners" which appears to have been a fraudulent program, those persons have a basis to pursue discovery and perhaps recovery plus damages.



JJV

Premium Member

join:2001-04-25

Seattle, WA 2 recommendations JJV Premium Member AhHaa So this is why ATT keep string to sell me a home security system.