cybersecurity EPIC v. DHS foia Media Monitoring
EPIC Awarded Nearly $100,000 in Internet Surveillance Case
A federal judge in Washington, DC has issued a final order granting EPIC substantial attorney's fees in a long-running case against the Department of Homeland Security. EPIC sued the DHS in 2012 for information about a secret program to monitor Internet traffic. The "Cyber Pilot" program applied originally to defense contractors, but an executive order dramatically expanded the program, raising concerns about violations of federal wiretap law. EPIC's lawsuit produced the release of several thousand pages on the program. EPIC sought attorneys fees for the successful litigation, which the DHS opposed. In November, Judge Gladys Kessler ruled that EPIC was entitled to attorney's fees because it "substantially prevailed in [the] litigation" and added "to the fund of information that citizens may use in making vital political choices." On Monday, Judge Kessler confirmed that decision and awarded EPIC nearly $100,000 in fees—the largest such award in EPIC's history.
June 5, 2017| Share:
