NSL's Hells's Bells?
http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/1/2013/03/05/google_national_security_letters/
Maybe someone showed the Judge my solution, which I had posited around 2001 or 2002, when writing a business plan for a coffee shop:
“ Here is how to find out the numbers, some day...
Get on the board of a company. BEFORE the company is formed, and therefor, theoreticallly has had no known reason to be sent an NSL:
First, ensure that prospective and new hires are squeaky clean and can pass a TWIC or at least get a passport, pass a bonding insurance background check, and has no criminal record that would trigger an NSL. It's discrimminatory, but, oh whelllll.
Demand that everyday, when factual, the web site counter shows:
-- Number of NSLs received today/yesterday: 0/0
When there is a day one is received, just don't put a number. Skip that day.
-- Number of NSLs received applying to citizens/non-citizens: 0/0
When there is a day one is received, just don't put a number. Skip that day.
-- Number of NSLs received applying to exec types/non-exec types: 0/0
When there is a day one is received, just don't put a number. Skip that day. Could be trouble, tho, if there are only a few in that category, they vanish, and people start talking and confirming theories....
-- Number of NSLs received today/yesterday/in advance of business formation, telling us to take down this site counter: >1/1/1”
I am not suggesting divulve the specifics of an NSL, but, nobody can expect the existence to remain secret.
Next task: find out how many people were economically harmed or bankrupted, and how many violated potentially harmless portions of an NSL, but ended up in prison.