Wyden Reveals AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Failed to Inform Senators About Surveillance Requests

In a significant development regarding government surveillance, Senator Ron Wyden has alerted fellow lawmakers about a concerning issue involving three of the largest U.S. cellphone carriers. These companies have reportedly failed to notify Senators about legal requests for phone surveillance, despite being contractually obligated to do so.

Wyden’s Letter to Senate Colleagues

On Wednesday, Wyden, a Democrat and a long-time member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, sent a letter highlighting findings from an investigation conducted by his staff. The investigation revealed that AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon did not inform Senators about government surveillance requests, including those from the White House.

According to Wyden’s letter, these companies have now stated that they will begin providing such notifications.

Background on Surveillance Practices

This letter follows a troubling report from last year by the Inspector General, which disclosed that during the Trump administration in 2017 and 2018, the government secretly obtained logs of calls and text messages from 43 congressional staffers and two House lawmakers, imposing gag orders on the carriers involved. This covert surveillance was initially uncovered in 2021 when it was revealed that Adam Schiff, the then top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, was among those targeted.

The Threat to Congressional Independence

In his correspondence, Wyden emphasized the serious implications of such surveillance on the Senate’s independence. He stated, “Executive branch surveillance poses a significant threat to the Senate’s independence and the foundational principle of separation of powers.” He further noted that if law enforcement can secretly access Senators’ location data or call histories, it undermines their ability to fulfill their constitutional duties.

Responses from Cellphone Carriers

In a statement to TechCrunch, AT&T spokesperson Alex Byers confirmed that the company is complying with its obligations to the Senate Sergeant at Arms. However, he did not clarify whether AT&T had received legal demands prior to the commencement of the current contract last June.

Wyden’s letter also mentioned that an unnamed carrier admitted to providing Senate data to law enforcement without prior notification to the Senate. A spokesperson for US Mobile stated that they did not have a formal policy for notifying customers about surveillance requests before Wyden’s inquiry, but they have since adopted one.

The Importance of Notification Policies

Wyden’s letter pointed out that carriers such as Google Fi, US Mobile, and Cape have implemented policies to notify customers of government requests whenever permissible. US Mobile and Cape adopted these changes following outreach from Wyden’s office.

Wyden urged his Senate colleagues to consider switching to carriers that now comply with these notification practices, especially since the protections do not extend to personal or campaign phones of Senators and their staff.

Conclusion

This issue raises critical questions about privacy and transparency in government surveillance practices. As the conversation continues, it is imperative for lawmakers and the public to advocate for stronger protections against unwarranted surveillance.