With NSA surveillance dominating the headlines, NYU Law faculty weighed in on the issue:
· Ryan Goodman, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Professor of Law, published “A Blow Against Big Brother,” an op-ed in the New York Times about the United Nations General Assembly’s resolution recognizing an international “right to privacy in the digital age”—the international body’s response to NSA surveillance tactics. Goodman noted that the resolution also reflects a commitment to regulate abuses by corporate, private actors. This commitment, writes Goodman, “promises to propel international efforts to address intrusions on individuals’ privacy by the Googles of the world.”
· Barry Friedman, Jacob D. Fuchsberg Professor of Law, spoke with New York Times reporter Adam Liptak about the ruling by Judge Richard J. Leon of US District Court that the NSA program that collects records of Americans’ phone calls is probably unconstitutional. “Judge Leon’s reads as though there is a living, breathing, thinking person behind it,” said Friedman in the article. “Right or wrong ultimately, it is full of detail, real-world fact and serious consideration. The FISA court opinions are lifeless. They read like a machine wrote them.”
Friedman also co-authored a story in Slate about the “wacky idea” that giving away your data creates a greater expectation of privacy, and appeared as a guest on NPR affiliate KPCC Southern California Public Radio to discuss the NSA.
· Professor of Law Christopher Jon Sprigman was a guest on Ian Masters Media of KPFK Public Radio and spoke about how technology companies are affected by NSA spying.
· Richard Pildes, Sudler Family Professor of Constitutional Law, commented on the government’s policy of disclosure for a story about a case involving four Somalis who were convicted of sending money to a terrorist group; NSA surveillance had provided information about these men.
Posted on December 20, 2013.