Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Who Gets the Bill for Government Wiretaps?

Is a major telephone company issuing a surcharge to its customers for legal government wiretapping in what it's calling a "lawful interception recovery fee"? 

A Facebook post that went viral, which showed an apparent copy of an AT&T bill with a section reading "Lawful Interception Recovery Fee" under "Surcharges and Other Fees."

Text that accompanied the post, attributed to a Facebook user Kallie Snyder, read: "I called and they said it's a new fee for the ... cost incurred from the government. I don't have anything to hide so if they want to tap my phone go ahead ... but why should I have to pay for it??!!! This is ridiculous, please share this so we can get the word out there. Oh, and check your bills people!!" (more)

100% urban legend hoax.
Phone companies charge the government.
So... if you are a taxpayer, you do pay.
It just doesn't show up as a tapped-line item on your 1040 form.