Tag: Ted Lieu

Taibbi Hits Back After Rep. Ted Lieu Calls Him A Liar

Via ZeroHedge

Journalist Matt Taibbi hit back at Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), who called him a liar for suggesting that the FBI has been “analyzing and mass-flagging social media posts” instead of “chasing child sex predators or terrorists.”

Taibbi responded to Lieu, suggesting that he could shed light on actual figures:

“Being on that committee,” Taibbi replied, referring to the House Judiciary Committee Lieu brought up, “you should know:

– How much has been spent, and how many DHS/DOJ employees have been assigned, to monitoring and flagging social media? – Why is the FBI asking for “location information” about ordinary Americans and media outlets like @RSBNetwork ?

Taibbi also asked Lieu “What “law enforcement” objective is served by asking for Billy Baldwin’s location information?” and why the FBI and DHS are in the business of analyzing and flagging social media content at all.

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A CONGRESSMAN WITH PRINCIPLES & BALLS

“It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of the problem. Why do you think Apple and Google are doing this? It’s because the public is demanding it. People like me: privacy advocates. A public does not want an out-of-control surveillance state. It is the public that is asking for this. Apple and Google didn’t do this because they thought they would make less money. This is a private sector response to government overreach.

Then you make another statement that somehow these companies are not credible because they collect private data. Here’s the difference: Apple and Google don’t have coercive power. District attorneys do, the FBI does, the NSA does, and to me it’s very simple to draw a privacy balance when it comes to law enforcement and privacy: just follow the damn Constitution.

And because the NSA didn’t do that and other law enforcement agencies didn’t do that, you’re seeing a vast public reaction to this. Because the NSA, your colleagues, have essentially violated the Fourth Amendment rights of every American citizen for years by seizing all of our phone records, by collecting our Internet traffic, that is now spilling over to other aspects of law enforcement. And if you want to get this fixed, I suggest you write to NSA: the FBI should tell the NSA, stop violating our rights. And then maybe you might have much more of the public on the side of supporting what law enforcement is asking for.

Then let me just conclude by saying I do agree with law enforcement that we live in a dangerous world. And that’s why our founders put in the Constitution of the United States—that’s why they put in the Fourth Amendment. Because they understand that an Orwellian overreaching federal government is one of the most dangerous things that this world can have. I yield back.”

Rep. Ted Lieu