By: iPadfanzz staff on June 16, 2013
Internet giants Facebook and Microsoft said they had gotten data requests from the US authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but they added that the U.S. government did not permit them to provide specific figures. Instead, the government only allowed them to release broad figures.
Social networking giant Facebook said over the last six months, it had received as many as 10,000 requests from local, state and federal agencies, which impacted as many as 19,000 accounts. Facebook has 1.1 billion accounts worldwide. Microsoft said that it received between 6,000 and 7,000 similar requests, affecting as many as 32,000 accounts.
The companies said some of the requests were for terrorism investigations. But others were from a local sheriff for criminal warrants, subpoenas, missing child, or for tracking fugitives.
The companies said they have been pressing the U.S. government for permission to talk more openly about the data requests because of reports suggesting of a secret surveillance program code-named PRISM that was aimed at tracking terrorist activities. Major Internet firms have faced a public backlash since government contractor Edward Snowden leaked details of PRISM, a vast program that saw nine companies turn over user data to the US National Security Agency.
The companies, which also include Apple and Yahoo, have denied claims the NSA could directly access their servers. However, they maintain they are complying with the law enforcement agencies.
However, it is still not clear how these companies are cooperating with national security officials.
“In light of continued confusion and inaccurate reporting related to this issue, we’ve advocated for the ability to say even more,” Facebook general counsel Ted Ullyot wrote in a blog post
“We have always believed that it’s important to differentiate between different types of government requests. We already publish criminal requests separately from National Security Letters. Lumping the two categories together would be a step back for users. Our request to the government is clear: to be able to publish aggregate numbers of national security requests, including FISA disclosures, separately,” in its statement Google said.
Internet giants Facebook and Microsoft said they had gotten data requests from the US authorities under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but they added that the U.S. government did not permit them to provide specific figures. Instead, the government only allowed them to release broad figures.
Social networking giant Facebook said over the last six months, it had received as many as 10,000 requests from local, state and federal agencies, which impacted as many as 19,000 accounts. Facebook has 1.1 billion accounts worldwide. Microsoft said that it received between 6,000 and 7,000 similar requests, affecting as many as 32,000 accounts.
The companies said some of the requests were for terrorism investigations. But others were from a local sheriff for criminal warrants, subpoenas, missing child, or for tracking fugitives.
The companies said they have been pressing the U.S. government for permission to talk more openly about the data requests because of reports suggesting of a secret surveillance program code-named PRISM that was aimed at tracking terrorist activities. Major Internet firms have faced a public backlash since government contractor Edward Snowden leaked details of PRISM, a vast program that saw nine companies turn over user data to the US National Security Agency.
The companies, which also include Apple and Yahoo, have denied claims the NSA could directly access their servers. However, they maintain they are complying with the law enforcement agencies.
However, it is still not clear how these companies are cooperating with national security officials.
“In light of continued confusion and inaccurate reporting related to this issue, we’ve advocated for the ability to say even more,” Facebook general counsel Ted Ullyot wrote in a blog post
“We have always believed that it’s important to differentiate between different types of government requests. We already publish criminal requests separately from National Security Letters. Lumping the two categories together would be a step back for users. Our request to the government is clear: to be able to publish aggregate numbers of national security requests, including FISA disclosures, separately,” in its statement Google said.
