NSA Spying Update: Truth, Nothing but the Redacted Truth

There’s new reading material for those interested in how the National Security Agency has been supposedly secretly monitoring phone calls, e-mails and Internet sessions since 2003 without a warrant or court supervision.

Earlier this week, an electronic privacy supporting group made available this 8-page declaration (here in PDF) by Mark Klein, a former AT&T technician.

He claims firsthand knowledge of how the NSA set up secret rooms in AT&T facilities to capture and monitor lots of electronic communiques and Web site visits. The rooms themselves were off-limits to anyone outside the NSA.

The allegations have outraged Internet users because, it’s alleged, the NSA was doing this without any court oversight. Meanwhile, others see the NSA’s alleged actions as the cost of defending the nation. Internet companies, including search giant Google, are all caught in the rhetorical and legal crossfire.

Klein’s declaration is heavily redacted as the result of a court order. Unabridged versions of Klein’s story have been published on the Internet by Wired.com, and are available by clicking here (PDF).

Since the alleged NSA operation became a public matter, there have been about 20 lawsuits filed against AT&T, the NSA and other telcos that are said to be participating in some way.

The Klein documents are at the heart of one of those suits, filed by San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation.

AT&T has denied any wrongdoing.