MyDD :: Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior Should Be Rewarded

Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior Should Be Rewarded

by Matt Stoller, Thu May 11, 2006 at 12:50:35 AM EST

I read this post from Atrios on the big telcos cooperating with the NSA and was just about to shrug my shoulders about the latest outrage. Then I actually read the article and something jumped out - these companies have a choice in whether to participate in spying on Americans without warrants.

AT&T recently merged with SBC and kept the AT&T name. Verizon, BellSouth and AT&T are the nation's three biggest telecommunications companies; they provide local and wireless phone service to more than 200 million customers.

The three carriers control vast networks with the latest communications technologies. They provide an array of services: local and long-distance calling, wireless and high-speed broadband, including video. Their direct access to millions of homes and businesses has them uniquely positioned to help the government keep tabs on the calling habits of Americans.

Among the big telecommunications companies, only Qwest has refused to help the NSA, the sources said. According to multiple sources, Qwest declined to participate because it was uneasy about the legal implications of handing over customer information to the government without warrants.

Qwest's refusal to participate has left the NSA with a hole in its database. Based in Denver, Qwest provides local phone service to 14 million customers in 14 states in the West and Northwest. But AT&T and Verizon also provide some services -- primarily long-distance and wireless -- to people who live in Qwest's region. Therefore, they can provide the NSA with at least some access in that area.

Qwest refused to help? And Verizon and AT&T (which bought Bellsouth) acted as nice little sycophants? Wow. I always hated Verizon because of their customer service, and AT&T is run by a megalomaniac named Ed Whitacre who likes to destroy trees in his spare time. But I still assumed that cooperation with the government was mandatory. It's not. These companies are aiding and abetting the NSA in illegal activity. And not only are they aiding and abetting the NSA, they are possibly engaging in illegal corporate behavior. That at least is how Qwest is reading the law.

Telecommunications is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the country. These companies regularly depreciated billions of dollars annually in tax write-offs, and the franchise agreements and subsidies are monstrously complicated. Entire armies of spoiled rich DC brats have been sent through private schools with telecom money that went to their lobbyist parents.

This is a disgrace. An absolute disgrace. Shame on ATT. Shame on Verizon. I'm glad I use Sprint and don't have a landline. And if I were a mayor or a Governor, I would try to move contracts away from these companies and towards Qwest or other telco players. At the very least I'd make local subsidies contingent upon not spying on my constituents.

Tags: NSA, Qwest, ATT, Bellsouth, Verizon (all tags)

Permalink :: 23 Comments :: Post a Comment

pgpfone? (none / 0)

This is why the EFF is bringing suit against AT&T. AT&T more or less willfully cooperated with the NSA to spy on Americans. In other words, they conspired with the executive branch to commit a federal crime.

And I'd like to point out, without getting too technocratic, that this is the exact reason why PGP was invented 15 years ago. The government really is spying on you. But even the NSA can't afford to eavesdrop on widespread encrypted communications.

by jwb on Thu May 11, 2006 at 01:26:30 AM EST

Re: pgpfone? (none / 0)

They will still have the endpoint information, which is apparently what this program gathers.

Plus, getting your mom to use pgpfone is just as easy as getting her to use PGP... well maybe not your mom, but mine anyway.

by kvenlander on Thu May 11, 2006 at 02:34:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior Should Be Rewar (none / 0)

Qwest provides, DSL, wireless phone, long distance, and VoIP. Seems as though shifting some business there way probably wouldn't hurt.

Also, one wrinkle in the net neutrality thing that I'm not clear on (hopefully it can be clarified):

Would the legislation being considered in congress REQUIRE non-neutrality or simply ALLOW it and (assuming the latter), wouldn't it more or less start coming unravelled as soon as one or two providers refused to go down that road?

by Lucas O'Connor on Thu May 11, 2006 at 02:05:05 AM EST

Re: Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior Should Be Rewar (none / 0)

Make sure you tell all the companies what you're doing though. Even ff a couple hundred or eve a couple thousand people switch to Quest and away from Verizon and AT&T no one will realize if you don't remember to tell Quest why you signed up and tell Verizon/ATT why you cancelled.

by js noble on Thu May 11, 2006 at 03:09:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior Should Be Rewar (none / 0)

It would be cool, but what would be cooler is to set up a website that exposes the political consultants who are getting paid to keep this thing going.

First rule of logistics: if you can't supply it, it dies. The consultants and talking heads that are lobbying this legislation need to be removed.

Legislation like this gets written because lobbyists write legislation.

by turnerbroadcasting on Thu May 11, 2006 at 10:58:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior Should Be Rewar (none / 0)

It would require it.

by Matt Stoller on Thu May 11, 2006 at 09:58:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior Should Be Rewar (none / 0)

Though their recent behavior is admirable but for those of who remember US West (Qwest before the merger) it's tough to forgive and forget. Their service and customer relations were horrible.

by phastphil on Thu May 11, 2006 at 09:03:31 AM EST

Re: Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior (none / 0)

I'm stuck in my Sprint contract for a while, but I am going to write them and let them know right away that I will be canceling my service and switching to Qwest as soon as it is feasible. I suggest others do the same. Even if you can't switch now, let your carrier know you plan to as soon as your contract allows.

by owenz on Thu May 11, 2006 at 09:12:07 AM EST

Re: Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior (none / 0)

Do this, please: check to make sure Qwest has a competitive product. Example, say 3 telephone lines, and DSL service bundle or what not. For a good price.

Check also that you have service. Make sure its a good switch. Never do anything because of partisanship. Especially on the internet.

You can always find ways around these guys.

by turnerbroadcasting on Thu May 11, 2006 at 10:57:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Hmm (3.00 / 1)

Very odd that Phil Anschutz's company would be the one to stand up to Bush on this.

by tparty on Thu May 11, 2006 at 09:12:57 AM EST

Re: Hmm (3.00 / 1)

I agree. Maybe there are still a handful of conservatives who believe in less government intrusion. I suspect it has more to do with being against government intrusion into business affairs than than caring about the privacy rights of individuals though. Anshutz is a RW fundy who presumably has no problem with regulating reproductive rights and privacy.

Aside from that though, it's always possible that Qwest is just flat out not being truthful.

by LionelEHutz on Thu May 11, 2006 at 09:29:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Old News: Anschutz is Out (3.00 / 1)

Link here: Qwest also announced the resignation of Philip Anschutz as non-executive chairman of the board. Anschutz remains a director and chairman of the executive committee of the board.

by zappatero on Thu May 11, 2006 at 11:43:12 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Sprint (none / 0)

Do we know if Sprint/United Telephone is cooperating? It's a big question and I can't seem to find an answer.

I am in a position where I am involved in ordering hi-cap telco services. Network security is a big issue with businesses, and this puts a big question mark on the security that we have come to expect.

BTW, I stopped doing business with AT&T a long time ago. When I was employed there they told us to lie to our customers. They were delaying all our orders because of "lack of funding". When upper management got tired of the complaints, they told us to lie. I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them.

by cynicalgirl on Thu May 11, 2006 at 09:37:07 AM EST

It looks like they only asked the Baby Bells (none / 0)

But who knows for sure?

by Geotpf on Thu May 11, 2006 at 06:50:47 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior Should Be Rewar (none / 0)

When Qwest is the good guy you know we're in troubled times.

See their 2003 rap sheet for accounting fraud:
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2003/Februar y/03_crm_112.htm
Also see 2005 indictment of a different Qwest CEO for similar shenannigans
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-60023 47.html

by history prof on Thu May 11, 2006 at 09:40:59 AM EST

Re: Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior Should Be Rewar (none / 0)

Qwest had problems in buying too much fiber, and darn near went bankrupt. Accounting gets ugly when companies are severely distressed.

XO Communications - same thing.
ATT underwent Sarbanes/Oxley compliance trouble.

All Telcos, for the past 10 years, have been under distress due to the overcapacity they built out in the 90's.

They are desperate to get back into it. Qwest is hardly a good guy, but everyone has skeletons in the closet in this game.

In fact, just a point of Trivia:

The hong kong based company that owns X0 Communications, Forget the name now that they call it - has a Majority position and a member of their board of Directors in - Richard Perle -

The man who convinced George W. Bush to go to war against Iraq and is now pushing for war against Iran. PNAC, and "AXIS of EVIL" - he coined the term.

by turnerbroadcasting on Thu May 11, 2006 at 10:56:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior (none / 0)

Matt:

Can we post contact info for the PR/Media departments for all the phone companies? (I would do it, but don't have time). Then people could easily contact their providers.

by owenz on Thu May 11, 2006 at 10:10:59 AM EST

Re: Qwest: Good Corporate Behavior Should Be Rewar (none / 0)

Anybody know where Cingular comes down on this? I'm writing Qwest a letter, thanking them for being a good corporate citizen. Unfortunately, they're not available here in Chicago, or I'd change ASAP.

I'm pretty sure Qwest's reason for not cooperating with the NSA has nothing to do with their belief in our freedoms, but no matter, they should still be commended.

by nittacci on Thu May 11, 2006 at 10:28:13 AM EST

Re: Cingular (none / 0)

Cingular is owned by Bell South and AT&T. You can bet on it.

by cynicalgirl on Thu May 11, 2006 at 10:49:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Cingular (3.00 / 1)

Cingular Wireless started out as Bellsouth Wireless. Bellsouth is the majority stakeholder in Cingular.

ATT Recently bought Bellsouth largely due to their focus on VoIP (for which, Bellsouth also made a significant investment in a VoIP carrier Cbeyond Communications + is planning to ramp up their VoIP offering soon) - ATT sees VoIP as their cash cow in the 21st century apart from wireless.

The second reason is Cingular. ATT likes the majority stake that Bellsouth has in Cingular.

So, you're dead on. ATT and Bellsouth do have stake in Cingular.

ATT ---> majority stake ---> BST ---> Cingular

by turnerbroadcasting on Thu May 11, 2006 at 10:53:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Go here to see if Qwest has service in your area: (none / 0)

http://pcat.qwest.com/pcat/productList.d o?salesChannel=res

I will be switching and telling Verizon why.

by jacamoe on Thu May 11, 2006 at 10:57:55 AM EST

Because Qwest is a Western company (3.00 / 2)

As I point out in posts on McCain, on the next page, one reason Qwest takes this attitude is that it's a western, not a southern, company.

The companies that fell in line are southern, where rigid heirarchy, obedience to authority, keeping in your place, and being blindly "patriotic" are major social virtues. [BellSouth; ATT/Southwestern (Texas) Bell]

The company that told the government to shove it is western, where people prize (but don't always practice, yes) rugged individualism, think "screw authority" (that's why people move out of the north and south to go west), tend toward libertarianism, believe you can find a new place and a new life, and are patriotic to their local area first.

The West is conservative, but in a different way than the South. Think Barry vs. Strom. This is one example of that difference.

Abigail, I'm sure if there is something out there looking down on us from somewhere else in the Universe, they're wise enough to stay away from us. --Grissom

by traveler on Thu May 11, 2006 at 12:29:04 PM EST

Liberal phone company: Working assets (none / 0)

When people are looking for a liberal phone company to support, they should consider Working Assets:

www.workingassets.com

by Craig234 on Fri May 12, 2006 at 07:40:06 PM EST

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