In response to a long-standing request, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has finally received an pile of documents showing federal government communications with telecommunications corporations prior to the passage of the FISA Amendments Act. The law, passed last year with the assistance of then-senator Barack Obama, allows an immense program of electronic and physical searches against law-abiding Americans to take place without any search warrant. The law also gives retroactive immunity to telecommunications corporations for their participation in the spying program before it was legalized. The FISA Amendments Act is in blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, but Congress doesn’t seem to worry about such things as constitutional rights much any more.

The documents just released may give some clues about the extent of the spying program before it was legalized, including domestic targets, but we won’t know for sure until the documents have been read through. That’s where you come in. The EFF is requesting assistance in reading the documents and considering their relevance. Please go on over and take a look at the newly released papers. You don’t have to read through the whole thing, but many hands make faster work.