Winning Lawsuits may be Difficult

WINNING LAWSUITS MAY BE DIFFICULT
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
Consumers and privacy advocates face high legal hurdles as they try to sue phone companies for aiding the government in its efforts to monitor the communications of millions of Americans, legal experts say. On Monday, Michael Copps, a Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission, called for an inquiry into whether the disclosure of the phone records violates the Communications Act (see below). But it's unlikely the Republican-led FCC, headed by longtime Bush administration loyalist Kevin Martin, will fine carriers for complying with administration requests, says Mark Rasch, former head of computer-crime investigations for the Justice Department.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20060516/1b_nsa_lawsuit16.art...

* Phone companies' customers offer their take on assisting NSA
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Stephanie Armour and Sharon Silke Carty]
Some customers are calling phone companies to praise their actions, while others are posting angry comments online and vowing to switch services.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060516/a_backlash16.art.htm