The Wikimedia Foundation Petition on the NSA Surveillance Program Denied
The U.S. Supreme Court has denied the Wikimedia Foundation’s petition for review of its legal challenge to the National Security Agency’s (NSA) “Upstream” surveillance program. Under this program, the NSA systematically searches the contents of internet traffic entering and leaving the United States, including Americans’ private emails, messages, and web communications. The Supreme Court’s denial leaves in place a divided ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, which dismissed Wikimedia’s case based on the government’s assertion of the “state secrets privilege.” According to Wikimedia's legal director, James Buatti, “The Supreme Court’s refusal to grant our petition strikes a blow against an individual’s right to privacy and freedom of expression — two cornerstones of our society and the building blocks of Wikipedia,” He added that the foundation will continue to champion everyone's right to free knowledge “ In its petition, the Wikimedia Foundatio...