Judge dismisses lawsuit over NSA cellphone data

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit an Idaho woman filed against President Barack Obama and other federal officials over the National Security Agency's collection of cellphone information.

U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill ruled Tuesday that under current U.S. Supreme Court precedents, the NSA's collection of cellphone data doesn't violate the Fourth Amendment's prohibition of unreasonable searches.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Anna J. Smith of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The Spokesman-Review reports that her lawyers plan to appeal.

Smith said that her cellphone is her primary means of communication with family and friends, her employer and others, and her communications are none of the government's business.

The NSA collects the number that placed a call, the number called and how long the call lasted.

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Citation: Judge dismisses lawsuit over NSA cellphone data (2014, June 4) retrieved 19 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2014-06-dismisses-lawsuit-nsa-cellphone.html
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