It's Saturday morning in Minneapolis at the National Conference for  Media Reform. I am sitting in a large auditorium as our President, Bob Edgar moderates a panel about privacy in the digital age.

One of the key issues we are discussing is the domestic wiretapping program by the Bush administration. One of the things to know is that the government using private companies to spy on the public is nothing new. Lillie Coney of the Electronic Privacy Information Center pointed out that the government worked with Western Union to spy on telegraph communications as far back as the US Civil War.

Just because it has been done before, doesn't mean it's ok.

In today's world, so much more information is available to those who would keep tabs on us. Because of the internet, phones, credit cards, grocery store cards and other things we use every day, the government and corporations can amass information about our daily activities in ways they never before could.

This means it is all the more important today to fight for our right of privacy.

Common Cause will continue to fight against the abuse of power and violations of our rights as citizens.