Post Forty-Seven: The NSA Database

Seems to me that trial lawyers should love the Bush administration. Class actions have already been filed for violations of the Telecommunications Privacy Act due to the NSA's compilation of a list of phone numbers coming to and from cell phones. It is my understanding that under the Act, there is a $1000 per customer statutory fine for violations. So if a cell phone service provider has 10 million customers, damages could total approximately $10,000,000,000.00. That's TEN BILLION DOLLARS.

Some lawyers are going to get very rich on this (unless Congress steps in and immunizes the companies for complying with the government's request). But I think I'm probably going to opt out of the class action (assuming I eventually receive a class action notice) since I support the government's action in this matter.

Also, it is notable that while Qwest was the only cell phone service provider who didn't comply with the government's request for the list, the Qwest corporate counsel that made the decision is facing fraud and insider trading charges. Probably irrelevant, but notable.