Google has asked the US Gov't to let it disclose aggregated FISA data

[villager]

This morning we sent the following letter to the offices of the Attorney General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Read the full text below. -Ed.

Dear Attorney General Holder and Director Mueller

Google has worked tremendously hard over the past fifteen years to earn our users’ trust. For example, we offer encryption across our services; we have hired some of the best security engineers in the world; and we have consistently pushed back on overly broad government requests for our users’ data.

We have always made clear that we comply with valid legal requests. And last week, the Director of National Intelligence acknowledged that service providers have received Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) requests.

Assertions in the press that our compliance with these requests gives the U.S. government unfettered access to our users’ data are simply untrue. However, government nondisclosure obligations regarding the number of FISA national security requests that Google receives, as well as the number of accounts covered by those requests, fuel that speculation.

We therefore ask you to help make it possible for Google to publish in our Transparency Report aggregate numbers of national security requests, including FISA disclosures—in terms of both the number we receive and their scope. Google’s numbers would clearly show that our compliance with these requests falls far short of the claims being made. Google has nothing to hide....

<snip>

http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/asking-us-government-to-allow-google-to.html

[Laelth]

1. Nifty. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[Whisp]

2. hmmmm, very interesting.

now what's google really up to and what are they trying to get 'ahead' on? That corporations are more transparent (or pretending to be) than the government?

hmmm, could be true. But I would trust the Obama administration with all it's employees and their failings than companies that are bigger that some countries and whose only loyalty is to $. Ask me this again under another admin and my reply may be different, so yet, it's very important to be curious and have proper answers.

but I don't trust those behemoth mudderfucking leeches at all.

[WestStar]

3. Google has nothing to hide....

And they were "only following secret orders" and they're going to stick those orders right up the government's ass.

In public.

[GeorgeGist]

4. Its not USER'S data.

Its Google's data ... about users.

[WestStar]

5. Please continue that thought

I fail to see the distinction.

[pmorlan1]

6. Waiting for more info

Let's hope that this isn't just a PR stunt and that it's further evidence of the possible unraveling of the Surveillance state. It could be that they are just wanting to reveal partial information to make themselves look better which isn't good enough but it might be a start towards getting the full picture.

[BillyRibs]

7. Another Finger.

In the Dyke, Useless. Time to get ride of the tide causing it!

[Wednesdays]

8. K & R