More than two and a half years after the disclosure of President’s Bush’s domestic eavesdropping program set off a furious national debate, the Senate has given final approval today to broadening the government’s spy powers and providing legal immunity for the phone companies that took part in the wiretapping program.

Senator Barack Obama, the presumed Democratic nominee for president, voted for the plan amid supporters expressed concerns that he would backtrack on his opposition to telecom immunity.

Read full story: New York Times

Related topics: Access Providers, Policy & Regulation, Privacy, Telecom