The letter also mentioned smaller carriers like Google Fi, US Mobile, and Cape, which have policies to notify customers about government demands when legally permitted. US Mobile confirmed it adopted this policy after Wyden's inquiry. Wyden's letter notes that after Congress enacted protections in 2020 for Senate data held by third-party companies, the Senate Sergeant at Arms updated contracts to require notifications of surveillance requests, but these notifications were not happening. Wyden encouraged Senators to switch to carriers that now provide such notifications, although these protections do not apply to non-official phones.
Key takeaways:
- Sen. Ron Wyden revealed that AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon failed to notify lawmakers about government surveillance requests, despite contractual obligations.
- The Trump administration secretly obtained communication logs of congressional staffers and lawmakers in 2017 and 2018, imposing gag orders on phone companies.
- Wyden's letter emphasizes the threat of executive branch surveillance to the Senate's independence and the principle of separation of powers.
- Wyden encourages Senators to switch to carriers that provide notifications of surveillance requests, as some smaller carriers have adopted such policies after his outreach.