While public records are generally available, the lines become blurred in cases like this where public records are tied to other information. It can move into a situation where it becomes a direct violation of someone's privacy.

The lines are quite blurred.

There are many cases where there is no notice and consent. There are others where there is deceptive notice and consent.

The civil liberties board is supposed to be the first contact for the president to talk about privacy and intelligence matters. We didn't know about the NSA piece when the intelligence-reform bill was put forward, but it would have been helpful to have the experts at the civil liberties board involved at the beginning.

It's too early to say whether an Internet privacy bill will be passed this year. It depends on other agenda issues like tax and campaign finance that need to be settled first. It's on the radar screen; some have even said it is the radar screen, but I don't think that's so.

It's too early to say whether an Internet privacy bill will be passed this year,