“There are several cases,” U.S. Attorney Jean-David Barnea argued, “that say that by giving your phone to someone else, you have relinquished your expectation of privacy.”
By Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter
An attorney for the United States government contended CIA-backed contractors had not violated the privacy rights when they allegedly opened the physical structure of cellphones belonging to Americans, who visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in the Ecuador embassy in London.
“There are several cases,” U.S. Attorney Jean-David Barnea argued, “that say that by giving your phone to someone else, you have relinquished your expectation of privacy.”
The assertion was made during a remarkable hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on November 16. The hearing involved argument over a motion to dismiss a lawsuit against the CIA and former CIA director Mike Pompeo for their alleged role in spying on Assange visitors that were Americans.
In August 2022, four Americans sued the CIA and Pompeo: Margaret Ratner Kunstler, a civil rights activist and human rights attorney; Deborah Hrbek, a media lawyer who represented Assange or WikiLeaks; journalist John Goetz, who worked for Der Spiegel when the German media organization first partnered with WikiLeaks; and journalist Charles Glass, who wrote articles on Assange for The Intercept.
Recent Posts
New Poll Has An Independent Populist Upending The Senate With A Nebraska Upset
October 23, 2024
Take Action Now Dan Osborn is flipping the script, and a new poll has him flipping Nebraska’s crucial Senate seatBy Ryan Grim, Drop Site…
The Right Wants To Overturn A Foundational Labor Law
October 23, 2024
Take Action NowUnions need to plan a response now.By Shaun Richman, In These TimesThe foundational 1935 labor law…
The Democrats Have Always Been “Liberal” Interventionists
October 23, 2024
Take Action NowThe kind of progressivism that people expect from the Democratic Party has been subsumed by another politics.By…
Elon Musk’s Wants To Buy The U.S.’s Future
October 22, 2024
Take Action NowHere’s why Elon Musk’s million-dollar presidential lottery is ominous.By Sam Butler, Drop SiteElon Musk can…