An unnamed phone company that received a National Security Letter (NSL) from the FBI last year is refusing to hand over the information requested in the letter, saying both the letter and the gag order associated with it are unconstitutional, reports The Wall Street Journal. “The legal clash represents a rare and significant test of an investigative tool strengthened by the USA PATRIOT Act,” the report states. The government in turn filed a civil suit, saying that in its refusal, the company interfered with U.S. “sovereign interests” in national security and, while it has agreed to a stay of the suit, is seeking the judge’s order to compel the company to turn over the data. (Registration may be required to access this story.)
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