Over the past year there has been quite a few news stories about the number of information requests made by Government agencies like the NSA to tech companies. Companies like Google, Microsoft, Facebook and others have requested permission to disclose more information about these requests to their users. In the past, when Government agencies demanded information, the companies had to supply it without publishing much (if any) information about it to the public.
The Justice Department has just announced, however, that these top tech companies will now be permitted to disclose more information on the ‘data requests’ than ever before. There are still limitations in place, and the tech companies aren’t getting exactly what they wanted, but it is a step in the right direction.
This is likely in response to a speech given by President Barack Obama about surveillance conducted by the NSA. In it he directed government agencies to reveal more information when possible.
In the official announcement, the DOJ official said that companies will be allowed to release more detailed information about these requests, including the number of total requests, the number of customer accounts targeted and the authorities that made the request.
The statement said, “Through these new reporting methods, communications providers will be permitted to disclose more information than ever before to their customers. In the weeks ahead, additional steps must be taken in order to fully implement the reforms directed by the president.”
No matter what side of the political spectrum you’re on, this can be seen as a positive move, especially for those of us who make a living online. Letting people know what types of things are being shared with government agencies will hopefully restore some confidence to citizens who were becoming increasingly uneasy about what activities they performed online.
What do you think about this move? Is it going far enough, or are additional steps required in this area?
