Supreme Ct Won't Revive Challenge to NSA's Warrantless Surveillance of Americans’ International Email/Phone Calls and Texts. ACLU says Govt Targets Non-Whites for Crimes Unrelated to National Security

From [HERE] The Supreme Court last month declined to revive an ACLU lawsuit challenging a portion of the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance of Americans’ international email and phone communications.

The justices left in place an appeals court ruling against the Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia. The organization said that the National Security Agency’s “Upstream” surveillance program violates free-speech rights and protections against unreasonable search and seizure.

Details of the Upstream program are classified, but it collects data from transmissions over high-speed cables that carry electronic communications into and out of the country.

The ACLU explained, “The U.S. government is engaging in the mass, warrantless surveillance of Americans' international phone calls, text messages, emails, and other digital communications using Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act as justification. Under this law, the government can use the information they collect without a warrant to prosecute and imprison people - even for crimes that have nothing to do with national security. Given our nation's history of abusing its surveillance authorities, and the secrecy surrounding the program, I am concerned that Section 702 already is and will continue to be used disproportionately against already targeted groups, including communities of color, immigrants, or political activists.” It also stated

The Supreme Court let us down: They refused to hear Wikimedia v. NSA, the ACLU's lawsuit challenging the NSA's mass surveillance of Americans' online communications with anyone abroad. By declining to hear this case, the Court has slammed shut one of the only doors left to hold the government accountable for surveillance abuses first revealed in 2013 by Edward Snowden.

But we are not powerless. Congress can still fight back against these egregious violations of our privacy. Instead of reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the very law used to justify this unconstitutional spying, they can let it expire. This is our chance to begin to end this dystopian chapter of American history.

We must act now. Send a message to your representatives in Congress urging them to vote "NO" on reauthorizing Section 702. [MORE]

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, had ruled that the lawsuit must be dismissed after the government invoked the “state secrets privilege” against the possible damage to national security that might result from a court case. [MORE]