Studs Terkel and the ACLU File Suit against AT&T

The Chicago Tribune is reporting tonight that the ACLU and a few prominent Illinoisans filed suit in Chicago this afternoon against AT&T “alleging that the company invaded the privacy of its Illinois customers by providing phone records to the federal government without a court order.” The Tribune also reports that AT&T has provided a written statement that said, “If and when AT&T is asked by government agencies for help, we do so strictly within the law and under the most stringent conditions." They are asking for no money rather to discontinue the practice.

I am a member of the class that they are angling to represent. I live in Illinois and I have AT&T service. I also use cellular service, you know, those little radios that we carry around. In addition I brazenly tempt fate by using a cordless phone on my “land line”. I do not expect absolute privacy on any broadcast phone, be it cellular or cordless. I do still own a non-cordless touch-tone phone, for electrical failures. That is the only telephone that I could securely expect privacy on and it’s in a box in the basement.