Suit to end NSA spying

A host of activist organizations sued to end the National Security Agency's massive phone record collection program.

Unlike other suits which have focused on privacy rights, this suit argues that the spying violates the constitutional right to free association. "The principles of our faith often require our church to take bold stands on controversial issues. We joined this lawsuit to stop the illegal surveillance of our members and the people we serve," Rev. Rick Hoyt of the First Unitarian Church of Los Angeles said. "This spying makes people afraid to belong to our church community." The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Northern California, argues that the phone records reveal personal information about the political and religious groups that people belong to and chills free association. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Public Knowledge, TechFreedom, the California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the Council on American-Islamic Relations also joined the lawsuit.