EFF Sues NSA, DOJ Over Secret Surveillance Program

"If there's one thing that [the National Security Agency (NSA)] values, it's secrecy," says Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) staff attorney Mark Rumold. "They've been allowed to operate in ways that aren't always consistent with the public's understanding of the laws and the Constitution or even other parts of the executive branch's interpretation of the laws."

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed a lawsuit over a ruling by the secretive Federal Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC). That ruling found parts of a classified Department of Justice (DOJ) surveillance program to be in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The court's decision only became public after a letter from the NSA to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) mentioned it and EFF's lawsuit is designed to draw attention to the ruling and the government's behavior.

The FISC ruled in EFF's favor the day after former government contractor Edward Snowden revealed the NSA's massive collection of phone records, making it the first known case in which a non-government entity has prevailed in such a case. DOJ has until July 1 to respond to EFF's request for information on the ruling.

Reason TV's Zach Weissmueller sat down with Rumold to discuss the implications behind the FISC ruling, the history of extreme secrecy surrounding the both the NSA and the FISC, and the effect that recent leaks have had on their legal work.

Approximately 8:30. 

Camera by Paul Detrick.

Scroll down for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube Channel to receive notifications when new material goes live.