U.S. Court Validates Spying Fears of Journalists, Activists (Colin Freeze)

Mar. 22, 2011 (Globe and Mail) -- Fearing that a powerful U.S. spy agency is listening in, a group of activists and journalists -- including Canadian Naomi Klein -- has persuaded a New York appeals court that it is reasonable to assume their phone and e-mail conversations are being monitored.

The ruling finds that new U.S. surveillance laws are so broad as to compel certain professionals to protect their sensitive conversations. Otherwise, their dialogues with sources -- such as radicals, dissidents and alleged terrorists overseas -- might well be overheard.

“The plaintiffs have good reason to believe that their communications, in particular, will fall within the scope of the broad surveillance that they can assume the government will conduct,” reads the ruling from the Second Circuit appeals court in New York.

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