From Electronic Frontier Foundation:
Section 215 of the Patriot Act has been secretly interpreted by the government in ways, according to Senators briefed on the interpretation, that are misleading and would “stun” the American public. Today, EFF will ask a federal judge in Oakland to order the government to turn over those secret interpretations of the law.
As we mentioned yesterday, this week is Sunshine Week – a week dedicated to celebrating the promise of transparent and accountable government. And what better way to celebrate than by fighting against secret surveillance law in federal court?
The Section 215 case is one of three EFF has filed concerning the government’s secret interpretations of federal law. Section 215 amended the so-called “business records” provision of FISA, which allows the government to ask the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for an order to compel companies to produce “any tangible things.”