How Mark Klein told the EFF about Room 641A [book excerpt]

(thereader.mitpress.mit.edu)

133 points | by the-mitr 2 hours ago ago

10 comments

  • rsingel 2 minutes ago

    This is a great behind-the-scenes look at the NSA-Hepting case.

    Can't wait to read Cohn's book.

    Also RIP Mark Klein. A true American hero who never tried to turn his whistle-blowing into becoming a celebrity.

  • tedd4u an hour ago

    This is literally old news - contemporaneous with Snowden, Prism, etc. in early 2000s. Go read about the current Section 702 / FISA authorization renewal battle about which Senator Wyden recently said:

        β€œI strongly believe that this matter can and should be declassified and that Congress needs to debate it openly before Section 702 is reauthorized,” Wyden said in a Senate floor speech last month. β€œIn fact, when it is eventually declassified, the American people will be stunned that it took so long and that Congress has been debating this authority with insufficient information.”
    
    
    Some articles:

    https://time.com/article/2026/04/27/fisa-fbi-spying-surveill...

    https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/trump-congress-...

  • GeekyBear 4 minutes ago

    The problem is that modern Americans politicize everything.

    There was a short period at the end of the Bush years when this was a big deal, but as soon as the gaslighting was coming from both political teams, it became a non-issue politically.

    > President Obama defended the U.S. government's surveillance programs, telling NBC's Jay Leno on Tuesday that: "There is no spying on Americans."

    "We don't have a domestic spying program," Obama said on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. "What we do have is some mechanisms that can track a phone number or an email address that is connected to a terrorist attack. ... That information is useful."

    https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2013/08/06/209692380...

  • throwworhtthrow an hour ago

    Beware, this is a book excerpt rather than a standalone blog post, so it ends on a cliffhanger. Still a fun read.

    • dang 5 minutes ago

      I've put that detail in the title above - perhaps it will help nudge the thread more ontopicward.

    • onei an hour ago

      There's more info about the outcome in [1]. Long story short, the US government passed a law (whilst this case was being litigated) that let AT&T off the hook.

      [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepting_v._AT%26T

  • firebot 16 minutes ago

    Kevin Mitnick also discovered this.. ages ago.

  • mannanj an hour ago

    So, this is an uncomfortable read and comes from my personal experience. I'm posting this here as I haven't yet found great outlets and support for what I experienced, and this thread seems like a good spot. Open to outreach and support and ideas from people.

    In 2021-2022 I was vocal about the CIA being a terrorist organization (I bet many people adjacently believe similar things and are silent) and this got me attention from them. I posted several things I learned from documentaries and on the web, and from my personal background I think it was enough to trigger something in their system. From that time onwards, people I could best describe as Agents w/behavior that matches what professional interrogators would do kept showing up at public events I was a part of and in the most terrifying scenario also infiltrated my public commune.

    There's an odd history with the FBI and possibly CIA and communes such as Osho the Bagawan (see, Netflix documentary) and I witnessed firsthand how deceptive, harmful and insidious this was. In some cases I believe substances were put in my food and drink, and in the cases matching that my body would later have adverse reactions with the agent's closely observing my behavior and consistently trying to elicit Black Web conversations. I had to flee and colocate to the familiarity of family and friends since, and only recently 3-years later have I been socializing my experience and writing to my congress and house representatives. That said, that was a month ago and they have yet to provide any substantive relief or support - I asked for assistance and guidance with investigating the intelligence community for misconduct as when they're doing this to Americans without any accountability, it undermines the integrity of our Country and I believe our national security. It brings into question who they are really serving. I'm no terrorist, even if I call you one and my skin color is brown and matches what the media-funded-by-the-CIA tells you to believe. I want this story documented and heard, believe what you will, though I leave you with the story that "We know our intelligence community does unethical things, its part of what we've given them the responsibility to do so we ourselves don't have to, and now when that unethical thing has happened to you or someone you know what do you do? What do you do when everyone you turn to for help gaslights you and tells you that surely did not happen? Find proof that the organization whose job it is to go undetected, did indeed do that thing to you." I ask for some empathy and understanding, please.

    • 2ndorderthought 27 minutes ago

      Woah. First of all I hope you are aware there are multiple mental illnesses that can manifest with feelings of paranoia etc. like text book.

      Secondly. I doubt any agency is going to hurt or drug you over that. Investigate you? Maybe. But its not worth the money.

      Just keep in mind all the dangerous people who these groups investigated that they did nothing about that went on to do bad stuff. Although I'm sure these groups do take threats seriously, I don't think you are a threat.

      I'm worried about your mental health is all. I'm not saying that in a way like "you sound suicidal" because you don't at all. You just sound paranoid. Wishing you the best brother