Yahoo CEO Says It Would Be Treason To Decline To Cooperate With the NSA 524
McGruber writes "During Wednesday's TechCrunch Disrupt conference, Marissa Meyer was asked what would happen if Yahoo simply declined to cooperate with the NSA. She replied 'Releasing classified information is treason. It generally lands you incarcerated.' Meyer also revealed that the 2007 lawsuit against the Patriot Act had been filed by Yahoo: 'I'm proud to be part of an organization that from the very beginning in 2007, with the NSA and FISA and PRISM, has been skeptical and has scrutinized those requests. In 2007 Yahoo filed a lawsuit against the new Patriot Act, parts of PRISM and FISA, we were the key plaintiff. A lot of people have wondered about that case and who it was. It was us ... we lost. The thing is, we lost and if you don't comply it's treason.'"
The heart of this issue (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Treason.. or... (Score:5, Informative)
No, it's not.
From the US Constitution: "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort."
This is not to suggest that sabotage, destruction, sedition and suchlike might not be crimes. But they're NOT treason in and of themselves.
Much as some people (both in and out of government) might like to convince you they are.
READ the Constitution Marissa (Score:4, Informative)
No, Marissa, it is not treason:
"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court."
That's treason. Releasing classified information isn't treason per se unless it meets one of the Constitutional criteria laid out above.
a historical note: (Score:5, Informative)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writ_of_assistance [wikipedia.org]
the historical events that served as the basis for the fourth amendment
and exactly the type of abuse the NSA is perpetrating on the american people
what we are talking about with the NSA program is a thorough, gross violation of and clear, undeniable contradiction to a founding principle of this country
Re:Treason.. or... (Score:4, Informative)
Don't we have to have a declared war to actually have a true charge of treason?
Google is your friend [cornell.edu] (but they're scared shitless of the government, too, just like this lady is)
Re:Treason.. or... (Score:4, Informative)
dumbass bimbo? I think you'd better read her bio before repeating that. If you think she doesn't understand what's she is saying or doing, then the dumbass is a little closer than it appears.
Re:Treason.. or... (Score:5, Informative)
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.
I'm sure that she's right that it's comply or go to jail, but it's not treason.
Re:Treason.. or... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Treason.. or... (Score:5, Informative)
I think she believes that she, or her employees might face jail time if they refused to comply with a court order. At the very least there would be significant financial penalties for her company resulting in the loss of many jobs.
I also have no doubt that "Treason" was the word used by the people who came to see her or her predecessor(she hasn't actually been in the role that long).
I would also like to take this time to state that I am sick and god damned tired of sexist trolls like yourself using terms like "bimbo" because you disagree with what someone has said. Grow the fuck up.
Re:Bullshit! (Score:2, Informative)
They can, they have, and they will. Meet Joe Nacchio [wikipedia.org], the man who said "No" when he was CEO of Qwest.
Re:Treason.. or... (Score:5, Informative)
Snowden didn't commit treason either [nytimes.com]. In 1945 the Supreme Court ruled that treason requires adhering to a specific enemy, which neither of them did.