The Washington Post has a disturbing report on the federal government's domestic surveillance programs, focusing on Verizon Communications' cooperation in handing over information about its customers. Since January 2005, Verizon has turned information over to federal authorities more than 94,000 times. And they weren't just looking for people with possible ties to terrorism:

Verizon also disclosed that the FBI, using administrative subpoenas, sought information identifying not just a person making a call, but all the people that customer called, as well as the people those people called. Verizon does not keep data on this "two-generation community of interest" for customers, but the request highlights the broad reach of the government's quest for data.

Luckily, Verizon wasn't able to provide this information. But they still turned over plenty of data on thousands of American citizens, using the cop-out that "it was not their role to second-guess the legitimacy of emergency government requests."

How are people not outraged, at both their elected representatives and these telecommunications companies? For the sake of argument, let's say that the FBI was justified in obtaining records of people with suspected ties to terrorism.

When the government starts spying on people who haven't even communicated with a suspected terrorist, but happened to speak with another person who communicated with a suspected terrorist, I can't even fathom how one would defend these actions.

And it isn't just about national security. The Bush administration was asking companies to turn over private telephone records as early as February 2001.

It may not be much, but I'm going to start looking for another cellphone provider. Imagine if everyone who disagrees with these practices did the same and sent a message to these telecommunication companies (through some old-fashioned market signals) that this sort of behavior isn't acceptable if they want our business.