Nicholas Merrill - The importance of resisting Excessive Government Surveillance

Join me in exposing and challenging the constant violations of our right to privacy

My name is Nicholas Merrill and I was the plaintiff in a legal case in the US court system where I challenged the FBI’s policy of using a feature of the so-called USA PATRIOT act - what are called “National Security Letters” - to bypass the American Constitution's system of checks and balances and in violation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights - in order to obtain protected personal information and to unmask anonymous Internet users. I spent over 6 years not able to speak to anyone (other than my lawyers) about my case - forced to lie to those closest to me due to an FBI gag order that carried a possible 10 year prison sentence for violating it. However the lawsuit resulted in the establishment of two key legal precedents and made changes that affect every Internet worker and Telephone worker in America. I would like to speak to the 27C3 audience in order to tell about my experience and to challenge (and offer my support and assistance to) those individuals who are in a position to challenge government surveillance requests to follow their consciences and do so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDkHPNbCC1M

ako sa v ramci "narodnej bezpecnosti" zastrasuju a obmedzuju normalni ludia. tusila som, ze sa taketo veci deju, ale pocut to cele nazivo bol silny zazitok.