A question about the phone records

[MessiahRp]

AT&T is part of a GSM network with their Cingular brand. Other phone companies rent their network if I am correct to provide their own service. So exactly how does this work? Does anyone in that GSM network (including Cingular subscribers) become the victims of this records handover since AT&T owns the networks?

Rp

[Kagemusha]

1. That's a painful one to consider...

I mean, the way I'm reading it, AT&T wouldn't even have a right to tell the other phone companies renting their network that this is going on; the NSA would swear them to secrecy in the course of making the classified contract. After all, if state secrets privilege applies to a court case against AT&T over this (supposedly, anyway), certainly it would imply that AT&T has no more right to tell other telcos about it than it does to tell customers about it. At least, according to this covenant which has no Attorney General waiver, no FISA court approval, etc etc...

Kind of a hardcore technical question too.

[MessiahRp]

2. The reason I ask is..

Cingular brags of 200 million subscribers on "their network", but sharing that network is US Cellular, T Mobile and a TON of other local companies (such as Einstein PCS in Wisconsin)....

We're talking most of America is on this one network.

Rp

[Kagemusha]

3. Indeed we are talking about most of America just right there

That's the scale we're talking about today. All Americans may not be terrorists, but they are *potential* terrorists, and are being treated as such by a suspicious government feeling entitled to this data without the need for judicial review.

[mccoyn]

4. And even the few people who arn't can still be monitored.

If 90% of phone numbers are being monitored, then 99% of phone calls (assuming two people on each) are being monitored.