I Received A NSL! I Am Spartacus!

No, actually, I did not in fact receive any such letter. I am in no position to expect to receive a national security letter. It would be ludicrous to suppose I had; I am not in possession of any information about anyone that the FBI would want to know.

But the subject of this diary is something no one who receives an NSL could legally write.

But I can. I am not under oath, I am not revealing any classified information, I am merely stating something publicly that happens not to be true. Then retracting it; I am not attempting to deceive anyone, least of all any government agency.

But what would happen if everyone who did not receive an NSL were to claim, on their blog or otherwise in a public forum, that they had?

A few dogs would not bark, that's what. Too bad such a thing couldn't ever happen on a large scale.

This question occurs to me, too: would the FBI be able to issue an NSL to anyone who had previously claimed to have recieved an NSL?  

I will, of course, comply with any lawful request from any law enforcement agency. If I receive anything from any legal entity telling me that I need to delete this diary, I'll delete it immediately.

But all I'm doing is saying something publicly that isn't true, then retracting it. I am not under oath.  I am not answering questions pursuant to a legal investigation.  I am not defaming anyone. Lying isn't otherwise illegal, to the best of my knowledge.  

Further, I am not organizing anything. I am not advocating anything. I do not advocate the identification of NSL recipients through process of elimination. I don't believe such a thing is even remotely feasible.

I am not, to the best of my knowledge, violating any law.

Isn't it funny that I feel like I have to go through all that to justify it? Isn't it hilarious that we have to think about whether something as harmless as this might break the law?  Isn't it funny that a random private citizen -- who has done nothing wrong, and never made a choice that put him into a sensitive position -- might be breaking the law just by uttering the words "I received an NSL"?

If I am informed that I am violating the law, I will immediately and apologetically delete this diary.

•  I can't tell you.

  by bluedogtxn on Fri Mar 23, 2007 at 09:42:27 AM PDT

  •  Me either. n/t

    by coloradocomet on Fri Mar 23, 2007 at 09:51:00 AM PDT

    •  Hmmm...

      Suppose you did receive a NSL tomorrow.  If you deleted your post to comply with the letter, then you would be revealing to us that you received the letter.

      by kharma on Fri Mar 23, 2007 at 10:13:43 AM PDT

  •  "I could tell you, but...

    ...then I'd have to..."

    I left the sentence incomplete because if I finished the cliche, someone really could get a visit from some government types.  ;)

    by wiscmass on Fri Mar 23, 2007 at 10:55:12 AM PDT

•  what if the law is a bad law anyway?

  how do recommend fighting it?

  by IMGoph on Fri Mar 23, 2007 at 09:45:32 AM PDT

•  Maybe you won't be sworn in or have a transcript.

  Hell, they will just "interview" you. It will simply be a converstation. No cameras or anything...

  by malharden on Fri Mar 23, 2007 at 09:56:51 AM PDT

•  My cousin rec'd a NSL . . .

  He rec'd a NSL from the FBI. He has a small comany that make supplies for telecommunications. He decided to comply and gave them everything they asked for.

  Except it was all a lie. And he told everybody in the family. His name? Epimenides.

  by sen bob on Fri Mar 23, 2007 at 10:04:56 AM PDT

•  You do know that the guys

  that stood up a said "I'm Spartacus!" were crucified for their bravery.

  Just say'n.

  by coloradocomet on Fri Mar 23, 2007 at 10:17:01 AM PDT

•  You should add poll option "Not allowed to answer

  the question"

  by nycaliz on Fri Mar 23, 2007 at 10:17:06 AM PDT

•  Demand a statement from vendors

  Here is what you can do if you are a homeowner (or even if you aren't):

  Before allowing telephone repair persons, the cable guy, pest control, etc. in your home, demand that they sign an affidavit that they are not subject to an NSL and do not participate in TIPS or any similar program.

  A company cannot legally disclose that they have receive an NSL, but I don't think there is a law about disclosing that they have not. And if they lie about it, you can get them for tresspassing once Bush is out of office.

  At the very least, this approach will draw the attention of the people you are doing business with to the problem.

  I did exactly that a little while ago when the management in my building decided to fumigate and required all residents to hand over their keys for a few days for tenting. Management had no problem with that request, and the pest control company also signed without a problem.

  Even better, I did this in an association meeting so that all my neighbors (in a 70% Republican district) were made painfully aware of the invasion of privacy.

  by sdgeek on Fri Mar 23, 2007 at 12:06:13 PM PDT