Google's Latest Transparency Report Mocks The Gag Order FISC Puts On Them Over NSA Requests
from the not-so-subtle dept
Google has released the latest version of its transparency report concerning government requests. While they focus on how government requests for information have doubled over the past three years, they also have a not-at-all-subtle jab at the FISA Court and the DOJ for continuing to block their efforts to reveal how many FISA Amendments Act Section 702 requests (the so-called PRISM requests) they get from the government, and how many people it impacts. As you hopefully already know, Google (along with other tech companies) is in the process of suing the government over this restriction on its free speech. You can see that demonstrated pretty clearly in the bottom righthand quadrant of the graphic they released. Just call it the "redacted" infographic.We want to go even further. We believe it’s your right to know what kinds of requests and how many each government is making of us and other companies. However, the U.S. Department of Justice contends that U.S. law does not allow us to share information about some national security requests that we might receive. Specifically, the U.S. government argues that we cannot share information about the requests we receive (if any) under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. But you deserve to know.The longer the government keeps this form of censorship up, the worse it looks. What could possibly be "revealed" by letting Google and others say how many requests they've received under that act? The pervasive secrecy from the NSA may be a cultural trait, but there is no basis for it here.
Earlier this year, we brought a federal case to assert that we do indeed have the right to shine more light on the FISA process. In addition, we recently wrote a letter of support (PDF) for two pieces of legislation currently proposed in the U.S. Congress. And we’re asking governments around the world to uphold international legal agreements that respect the laws of different countries and guarantee standards for due process are met.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: first amendment, fisa amendments act, gag order, nsa, section 702, surveillance, transparency, transparency report
Companies: google
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Very witty, he says in a sarcastic tone.
Maybe once they're done with the P.R. stunts, they can focus on NOT systematically stripping the user's freedoms on Android and Chrome?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
It's called firefox and firmware.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
All bunched up
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: All bunched up
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Answer
The massive number of requests highlighting the extent of the abuse.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Phony PR, while Google omits how much routinely sells gov't.
So what exactly is the draw to Techdirt? I like it because a small forum where I stand out, which leverages my rants without the bother of my own web-site, but you kids continually overlook Mike's 1% Ivy League elitist pro-corporate views that are contrary to our 99% interests, I guess because think that his preferring some new grifters to live off artists over the old "legacy" players which now do means that he agrees with all your piratey notions, but in fact Mike "supports copyright"! There's whatcha call some cognitive dissonance here, but it ain't from me.
All the news you saw last week on other sites, re-written to cherry pick points that fit Mike's agenda.
05:05:17[g-26-8]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Phony PR, while Google omits how much routinely sells gov't.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Phony PR, while Google omits how much routinely sells gov't.
You sure do. As a giant shithead.
... which leverages my rants ...
To whom, do you think? Nobody takes you seriously. At all.
... without the bother of my own web-site ...
Translation: nobody would bother to visit a site such a site.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Phony PR, while Google omits how much routinely sells gov't.
No, you're a sad, pathetic, little troll with no life. If you wanted to "stand out," you'd post insightful comments under your real name. Instead, you hide behind anonymity.* That isn't standing out.
* I'm a fan of anonymity when it's needed to hide from injustice. I'm not so much a fan when it's a SPLT hiding from any and all consequences of its ill-considered speech.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Phony PR, while Google omits how much routinely sells gov't.
Some of us work hard and have ambitions of being in the top 1%. You obviously like to sit on your ass and troll which explains why you are at the bottom of 99%.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Phony PR, while Google omits how much routinely sells gov't.
This, a thousand times.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Phony PR, while Google omits how much routinely sells gov't.
For the sake of your happiness I advise you to give up on the top 1% and pursue something worthwhile or at least respectable instead.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Phony PR, while Google omits how much routinely sells gov't.
[OOTB to English translation]:
Is a Blue one of those grifters he/she keeps yapping about? You decide.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Phony PR, while Google omits how much routinely sells gov't.
Attention whore much, Cathy? Thank you for admitting it, Crazy Cat/Copyright lady.
She has a website, people, but nobody wants to read her crap so she comes here to get the attention she craves for her warped views.
Mike is a small "L" libertarian, if anything. That means he demands due process be enforced and that the public interest is served. He has stated both of these facts over and over again in his articles, but you were too busy wishing he would ask you out to notice that, weren't you. Damn, you're so boring the NSA can't be bothered to spy on you!
Yet here you are, grifting away on Mike's hard-won audience, you massive hypocrite. Go home Cathy, you're drunk. Cognitive dissonance? We see it in every comment you make here!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
germany and france
[ link to this | view in chronology ]