US Senate Asks for National Security Letter Explanation

A group of U.S. Senators are asking the FBI to explain a recent controversial National Security Letter sent to the Internet Archive. The Internet Archive was able to defeat the request with help from the EFF and the ACLU this past April. "The Internet Archive's case is only the third known legal challenge to NSLs, despite the fact that the the FBI issues tens of thousands a year -- more than 100,000 such letters were issued in 2004 and 2005 combined. But despite the lack of legal challenges from recipients at ISPs, telephone companies and credit bureaus, successive scathing reports from the Justice Department's Inspector General have found illegal letters and a willy-nilly culture within the bureau towards tracking their usage."

If they really want to know...

[Anonymous Coward]

...they should send the FBI a National Security Letter asking why,

Another paragraph worth quoting...

[mrbluze]

Why does the FBI think that list of possible records should be secret? Does that list contain items that are actually content -- for instance, URLs visited by a person?

Having watched numerous films depicting FBI managers it will contain such things as "I wanna know who she slept with in kindergarten and what colour her t-shirt was on November 12 1948."

Postage?

[stevedmc]

What could possibly go wrong with a letter? Did they forget to put a stamp on it or something?

They would, but...

[Anonymous Coward]

Alas, Congress doesn't seem to have that power.

Re:who is first?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm all for having watchmen, but not when we don't get to watch THEM. Which is exactly what this

i think they got him before he could finish

remember!

[crazybit]

they do this to protect your freedom...

Re:Ah, the fresh smell of paranoia

[TheVelvetFlamebait]

HE'S A WITCH!

Re:who is first?

[ceroklis]

This is the sort of thing where somebody has to be first.

Hans was first.

Re:Obligatory Watchmen

[Anonymous Coward]

I thought their best friends were the ones flinging poo in the zoo...

This all feels so Unconstitutional

[hyperz69]

So I asked for a copy of the Constitution under the Freedom of Information act. I received a Letter starting with "We The People" followed by a long continuos black line....

Scathing Reports!

[argent]

Thank God, something is being done. As soon as Undersecretary Sternwheeler drafts a Sternly Worded Protest we'll get Magnan and that young fellow of his to deliver it to the FBI!