Online companies, such as POGO, which seeks to allow whistleblowers to submit information with encryption in order to skirt NSA survellience are being hit with subpoenas to ‘turn over their data’.
POGO, for example, is an online submission tool that was immediately launched after the VA scandal broke -to date it has received over 700 tips of abuse and mismanagement in the VA. It has since been hit with a subpoena by the VA Inspector General to turn over whatever incriminating data it has against the VA.
POGO has refused and has stated that they are prepared to go to jail rather than comply.
On Monday, POGO told the Obama administration that it would not comply with the subpoena. Most government agencies have such subpoena powers, and they have been doled out hundreds of thousands of times, all with the signature of federal officials as no judge is required. The subpoenas demand that utilities, ISPs, telecommunication companies, banks, hospitals, and bookstores cough up information if the authorities deem it relevant to an investigation.
If the VA doesn’t drop its subpoena, POGO said it would never turn the data over, even if ordered to by a judge.
“We are certainly prepared to go to court,” Newman said. “We are certainly prepared to go to jail to prevent any of that information from being released.”
Counterintuitively, this is really good news. It exposes the complete and total fear of those in power of any sort of transparency. Moreover, the fact that people are willing to go to jail to defend the Constitution is a sign that true dissent is rising and fear of repercussions becoming less important.
A fearless and committed population cannot lose.
In a related story, Microsoft, of all companies, is pushing back against federal prosecutors’ request for data stored in an overseas data center. What is so incredible about this is that Microsoft has been seen as one of the biggest government lapdogs of all the large U.S. technology companies. Let’s not forget that the company was the first participant in the NSA’s prism program. They joined on 9/11/07.
From the New York Times:
Microsoft is challenging the authority of federal prosecutors to force the giant technology company to hand over a customer’s email stored in a data center in Ireland.
The objection is believed to be the first time a corporation has challenged a domestic search warrant seeking digital information overseas. The case has attracted the concern of privacy groups and major United States technology companies, which are already under pressure from foreign governments worried that the personal data of their citizens is not adequately protected in the data centers of American companies.
well just lose them ,like they did lois”s emails , its simple
Obama and his staff are nothing more than criminals.
Welcome to the administration Of the Apes !!!
I’m sure they lost all the e-mails just like the IRS lost Lois Learner’s!
while veterans has no medical attention Guantanamo Bay terrorist had a Dr.in one hour can you believe that and there people who defend Obama politics shame on them
Why cover anything? Admit ur mistake try to correct it and move on seems to me that would solve things a lot quicker everyone makes them I certainly have made my share during my life span.
THE WHOLE PROBLEM HERE IS THEY ARE ALL TRYIN HIDE THE FACT THAT ALL AVENUES OF COMMAND ORDERS LEAD BACK TO THE PRESIDENT YOU KNOW THE LIAR AND THE KILLER. WHO HAS ORDERED THE ELIMINATION OF ANYONE WHO KNOWS PERTINANT INFORMATION AGAINST HIM AND CAN PROOVE HE IS A LIAR MANIPULTOR AND CORRUPT TO BE TERMINATED..AS FOR THE GENERALS AND ADMIRALS RESPONSIBILIES IN THIS MESS YES THEY NEW AN DID NOTHING TO STOP IT THEY TRUNED HERE BACKS ON ALL THE VETS AND WALKED AWAY. THIS IS OUR CORRUPT GOVERNMENT ELECTED OFFICIALS POLICY OF ACTION NOW LIE KILL AND STEAL FROM AMERICANS.
If a crime or crimes have been committed, and the evidence of these crimes is apparent, why would we be seeking to make those who are repoeting these crimes the guilty parties. The new head of the VA said at a news conference the other day, that he has no intentions of holding any individual within the VA system accountable for their criminal negligence, but his actions against those whistle blowers clearly indicates that he plans some form of retribution from them. The victims become the victims again.
They do not want us to know what they are doing. Even when caught and threatened with charges they lie and a year later, their lie is the only thing still on the books.
Typical!