# Have the SDMB owners ever received a national security letter?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-sdmb-owners-ever-received-a-national-security-letter/331008>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [November 14, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-sdmb-owners-ever-received-a-national-security-letter/331008 "2005-11-14T16:53:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-sdmb-owners-ever-received-a-national-security-letter/331008/1 "2005-11-14T16:53:57Z")

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…and would they tell us? Or, do we just assume we’re (looking over shoulder) being watched here?

I’m not sure that this is the right forum, but I’m sure the mods will set it right…

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**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-the-sdmb-owners-ever-received-a-national-security-letter/331008/2 "2005-11-14T17:43:19Z")

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If I recall correctly, the Patriot Act is written in such a way that the feds can (and often do) issue such letters with explicit, legally binding instructions that the recipient tell no one that they have received it. As such, we have no way of knowing if they have received one or not.