AT&T attorneys released a legal briefing with three
pages of redacted information in a PDF format. Unfortunately for AT&T
and the US National Security Agency, the censored information was still
readable in many PDF viewing applications. The document was part of the
same EFF lawsuit filed
back in February of this year.
The document alluded that a room in one of AT&T's switching centers is
dedicated to NSA digital eavesdropping -- complete with backup fiber optic
splices and monitoring equipment. CNET
claims the following is part of the censored text with regard to the NSA
room: "Although the plaintiffs ominously refer to the equipment as the
'Surveillance Configuration,' the same physical equipment could be utilized
exclusively for other surveillance in full compliance with [the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act]."
This accidental leak of information comes on the heels of a separate document leak incident
orchestrated by AT&T insider and whistleblower Mark Klein. Klein
claims he spliced fiber optic cable to a room in an AT&T switching center
for the NSA. That room, it turns out, is the same room mentioned in the
PDF document that was improperly censored.
Cable companies have been quick to jump on the negative press surrounding
AT&T and its alleged breach of privacy. Several cable companies
including Comcast, Cox and Time Warner, issued statements claiming they will not provide the NSA
with unwarranted information.