Little-Acorn
Gold Member
The whole problem with this phone-records-database program, is that government owns the database.
Sure, they promise us they will never access it without a court order.
Just like the IRS promised us they would never discriminate against the sitting party's political opponents, send out our private data to be published, etc.
The Federal government is authorized by the Constitution to fight against the country's enemies. But the 4th amendment places limits on how they do it. And govt possession of such a database makes it all too easy to violate the 4th.
BTW, the warrant for accessing that database? It comes from a secret court.
Sorry, Feds, you've gone too far.
There's nothing wrong with phone companies keeping records of what number made what phone calls to what other number. Phone companies have been doing it ever since there have been phone companies. Look at your landline's long-distance bill. And you can get the same infor about your cell phone, from your cell service provider.
And there's nothing wrong with the gummint examining those records... IF they obey the 4th amendment and get a warrant, from a judge who thinks their search is "reasonable".
That's partly because if they show up on the phone provider's doorstep without a warrant, and demand to see the records or do a search, there's someone who isn't affiliated with government there, who can tell them to go jump in a lake. Namely, the phone service provider (and their lawyers).
But when the government itself owns those records, then that vital buffer is gone. Expecting the government to police itself is, well, unrealistic... to put it mildly. And it's all too easy to just waltz in and start searching... as we have recently seen from the IRS in a (hopefully) unrelated affair.
Sure, they promise us they will never access it without a court order.
Just like the IRS promised us they would never discriminate against the sitting party's political opponents, send out our private data to be published, etc.
The Federal government is authorized by the Constitution to fight against the country's enemies. But the 4th amendment places limits on how they do it. And govt possession of such a database makes it all too easy to violate the 4th.
BTW, the warrant for accessing that database? It comes from a secret court.
Sorry, Feds, you've gone too far.
There's nothing wrong with phone companies keeping records of what number made what phone calls to what other number. Phone companies have been doing it ever since there have been phone companies. Look at your landline's long-distance bill. And you can get the same infor about your cell phone, from your cell service provider.
And there's nothing wrong with the gummint examining those records... IF they obey the 4th amendment and get a warrant, from a judge who thinks their search is "reasonable".
That's partly because if they show up on the phone provider's doorstep without a warrant, and demand to see the records or do a search, there's someone who isn't affiliated with government there, who can tell them to go jump in a lake. Namely, the phone service provider (and their lawyers).
But when the government itself owns those records, then that vital buffer is gone. Expecting the government to police itself is, well, unrealistic... to put it mildly. And it's all too easy to just waltz in and start searching... as we have recently seen from the IRS in a (hopefully) unrelated affair.
