Dozens of technology companies including big names like Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and many more are backing bills that support giving companies the ability to reveal more details about the government’s secret requests for information. Since Edward Snowden’s release of classified documents of the NSA’s massive collection of internet data, companies have been pressuring the government for leniency for revealing specifics about government data requests. Companies like Yahoo! and Apple have released information about government data requests to placate user fears.
“Such transparency is important not only for the American people, who are entitled to have an informed public debate about the appropriateness of that surveillance, but also for international users of U.S.-based service providers who are concerned about privacy and security.”
In a letter submitted to the Center for Democracy and Technology, the companies outed in the NSA PRISM scandal are urging Congress to pass the Transparency Act of 2013, backed by Senator Al Franken and Representative Zoe Lofgren. The bill will allow the companies to reveal how often they received government requests and how often they turned over data.
“Such transparency is important not only for the American people, who are entitled to have an informed public debate about the appropriateness of that surveillance, but also for international users of U.S.-based service providers who are concerned about privacy and security.,” reads the letter.
It is heartening to see that major technology companies like Apple, Yahoo!, and Facebook are standing strong behind government transparency instead of brushing it under the rug. Still, it’s uncertain whether Congress will even pass Transparency Act of 2013 as it is currently waiting in committee before it moves to the House and Sentate for debate.
MORE ON THE PRISM SAGA
- Microsoft publishes data on law enforcement requests
- New report reveals Microsoft worked with NSA to provide access to Outlook.com, SkyDrive, Skype
- PRISM: Leaked NSA slides explains real-time monitoring
- Apple releases numbers for government information requests in wake of PRISM
- Yahoo! reveals FISA data request numbers to combat PRISM backlash
Image credit: Elliot P. via Flickr
[Source: Center for Democracy & Technology | CDT Letter (PDF)]
