This is an excellent win and we look forward to hearing about the Appeal following the "Stay". Thanks Katitza.<br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 12:26 PM, Katitza Rodriguez <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:katitza@eff.org" target="_blank">katitza@eff.org</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><br>
<br>
Electronic Frontier Foundation Media Release<br>
<br>
For Immediate Release: Friday, March 15, 2013<br>
<br>
Contact:<br>
<br>
Matt Zimmerman<br>
Senior Staff Attorney<br>
Electronic Frontier Foundation<br>
<a href="mailto:mattz@eff.org" target="_blank">mattz@eff.org</a><br>
<a href="tel:%2B1%20415%20436-9333%20x127" value="+14154369333" target="_blank">+1 415 436-9333 x127</a><br>
<br>
Cindy Cohn<br>
Legal Director<br>
Electronic Frontier Foundation<br>
<a href="mailto:cindy@eff.org" target="_blank">cindy@eff.org</a><br>
<a href="tel:%2B1%20415%20436-9333%20x108" value="+14154369333" target="_blank">+1 415 436-9333 x108</a> (office), <a href="tel:%2B1%20415%20307-2148" value="+14153072148" target="_blank">+1 415 307-2148</a> (cell)<br>
<br>
Kurt Opsahl<br>
Senior Staff Attorney<br>
Electronic Frontier Foundation<br>
<a href="mailto:kurt@eff.org" target="_blank">kurt@eff.org</a><br>
<a href="tel:%2B1%20415%20436-9333%20x106" value="+14154369333" target="_blank">+1 415 436-9333 x106</a><br>
<br>
National Security Letters Are Unconstitutional, Federal<br>
Judge Rules<br>
<br>
Court Finds NSL Statutes Violate First Amendment and<br>
Separation of Powers<br>
<br>
San Francisco - A federal district court judge in San<br>
Francisco has ruled that National Security Letter (NSL)<br>
provisions in federal law violate the Constitution. The<br>
decision came in a lawsuit challenging a NSL on behalf of<br>
an unnamed telecommunications company represented by the<br>
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).<br>
<br>
In the ruling publicly released today, Judge Susan Illston<br>
ordered that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stop<br>
issuing NSLs and cease enforcing the gag provision in this<br>
or any other case. The landmark ruling is stayed for 90<br>
days to allow the government to appeal.<br>
<br>
"We are very pleased that the court recognized the fatal<br>
constitutional shortcomings of the NSL statute," said EFF<br>
Senior Staff Attorney Matt Zimmerman. "The government's<br>
gags have truncated the public debate on these<br>
controversial surveillance tools. Our client looks forward<br>
to the day when it can publicly discuss its experience."<br>
<br>
The controversial NSL provisions EFF challenged on behalf<br>
of the unnamed client allow the FBI to issue administrative<br>
letters -- on its own authority and without court approval<br>
-- to telecommunications companies demanding information<br>
about their customers. The controversial provisions also<br>
permit the FBI to permanently gag service providers from<br>
revealing anything about the NSLs, including the fact that<br>
a demand was made, which prevents providers from notifying<br>
either their customers or the public. The limited judicial<br>
review provisions essentially write the courts out of the<br>
process.<br>
<br>
In today's ruling, the court held that the gag order<br>
provisions of the statute violate the First Amendment and<br>
that the review procedures violate separation of powers.<br>
Because those provisions were not separable from the rest<br>
of the statute, the court declared the entire statute<br>
unconstitutional. In addressing the concerns of the<br>
service provider, the court noted: "Petitioner was adamant<br>
about its desire to speak publicly about the fact that it<br>
received the NSL at issue to further inform the ongoing<br>
public debate."<br>
<br>
"The First Amendment prevents the government from silencing<br>
people and stopping them from criticizing its use of<br>
executive surveillance power," said EFF Legal Director<br>
Cindy Cohn. "The NSL statute has long been a concern of<br>
many Americans, and this small step should help restore<br>
balance between liberty and security."<br>
<br>
EFF first brought this challenge on behalf of its client in<br>
May of 2011.<br>
<br>
For the full order:<br>
<a href="https://www.eff.org/document/nsl-ruling-march-14-2013" target="_blank">https://www.eff.org/document/<u></u>nsl-ruling-march-14-2013</a><br>
<br>
For more on this case:<br>
<a href="https://www.eff.org/cases/re-matter-2011-national-security-letter" target="_blank">https://www.eff.org/cases/re-<u></u>matter-2011-national-security-<u></u>letter</a><br>
<br>
For this release:<br>
<a href="https://www.eff.org/press/releases/national-security-letters-are-unconstitutional-federal-judge-rules" target="_blank">https://www.eff.org/press/<u></u>releases/national-security-<u></u>letters-are-unconstitutional-<u></u>federal-judge-rules</a><br>
<br>
About EFF<br>
<br>
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is the leading<br>
organization protecting civil liberties in the digital<br>
world. Founded in 1990, we defend free speech online, fight<br>
illegal surveillance, promote the rights of digital<br>
innovators, and work to ensure that the rights and freedoms<br>
we enjoy are enhanced, rather than eroded, as our use of<br>
technology grows. EFF is a member-supported organization.<br>
Find out more athttps://<a href="http://www.eff.org" target="_blank">www.eff.org</a>.<br>
<br>
<br>
-end-<br>
<br>
<br>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div>Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala</div><div>P.O. Box 17862</div><div>Suva</div><div>Fiji</div><div><br></div><div>Twitter: @SalanietaT</div><div>Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro</div>
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