AT&T is Big Brother

Big Brother has a name and it’s AT&T.

The New York Times and ProPublica just published a blockbuster story showing that the NSA’s ability to spy on domestic Internet traffic has “relied on its extraordinary, decades-long partnership with a single company: the telecom giant AT&T.”1

Newly disclosed NSA documents praise AT&T’s “extreme willingness to help” the agency in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. The company began turning over email and phone-call data earlier than any other company. It was the first to try out new surveillance technologies created by the NSA.

And in 2011 it “began handing over 1.1 billion domestic cellphone calling records a day to the NSA’” — contradicting the agency’s claims that the data it collected during this period consisted mostly of landline records.

While this news is disturbing it’s not exactly surprising: This is AT&T we’re talking about. And this is just the latest example of how AT&T and other phone and cable monopolies are willing to sacrifice our rights for their bottom line.

That needs to change.

Donate $5 (or more!) today to help us rein in companies like AT&T.

Companies like AT&T are infringing on our rights to connect and communicate in so many ways. The big Internet service providers are trying to dismantle the Net Neutrality protections we fought so hard for. They’re pushing for mergers that would diminish the diversity of voices online, hurt our wallets and allow them to serve as Internet gatekeepers. And they’re lobbying for “cybersecurity” legislation that would legalize violations of our privacy rights.

But we're fighting back:

• We're meeting with congressional offices to shut down efforts to destroy Net Neutrality. • We're giving federal regulators detailed analysis of the harms these merger deals present. • We're working with our allies to push back on flawed cybersecurity legislation and unwarranted government surveillance.

We're working hard to battle these companies on multiple fronts. But we need your help.

Thanks for all that you do—

Sandy, Candace, Carrie and the rest of the Free Press Action Fund team freepress.net

P.S. Companies like AT&T threaten our most basic rights. Please donate $5 (or more!) today to help us fight back. Thank you!

P.P.S. We've entered the 21st century and added a Paypal option! Or if you prefer to send your contribution via mail, please make checks payable to the Free Press Action Fund and then send to: Free Press Action Fund, 40 Main St., Suite 301, Florence, MA 01062

1. “AT&T Helped U.S. Spy on an Array of Internet Traffic,” The New York Times and ProPublica, Aug. 16, 2015: http://act.freepress.net/go/16351?t=6&akid=5342.10258208.lu0RgX

The Free Press Action Fund is a nonpartisan organization fighting for your rights to connect and communicate. The Free Press Action Fund does not support or oppose any candidate for public office. Learn more at freepress.net.

Join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.