Call spying broader than thought

The telephone call surveillance telecom carriers conducted at the request of the FBI and federal government may have affected more individuals than previously thought. The New York Times reports that call data requests also extended to the people that the initial surveillance targets were in contact with, so-called "communities of interest."

Meanwhile, the federal government is still seeking to have the telecom carriers involved granted retro immunity for their past surveillance. The discovery of wider eavesdropping may not necessarily affect that effort, but it certainly could further damage the reputations of carriers and how they handle customer privacy and security.

For more on the surveillance issue:
- here's The New York Times story on the surveillance program
- and a piece in The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) about the immunity effort