Jakarta Globe – AFP, August 31, 2013
Microsoft says that a battle to shed light on secret US government requests for Internet user data will play out in court after failed peace talks.
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| Microsoft and Google filed suits in federal court in June, arguing a right to make public more information about user data requests made under the auspices of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. (Reuters Photo) |
Microsoft says that a battle to shed light on secret US government requests for Internet user data will play out in court after failed peace talks.
Microsoft
and Google filed suits in federal court in June, arguing a right to make public
more information about user data requests made under the auspices of the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
The
technology titans agreed six times to extend the deadline for the government to
respond to the lawsuits, allowing time for negotiations that “ended in
failure,” Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith said in a blog post.
“To
followers of technology issues, there are many days when Microsoft and Google
stand apart,” Smith said.
“But today
our two companies stand together… We believe we have a clear right under the US
Constitution to share more information with the public.”
Silicon
Valley Internet titans want to be able to provide users with better insight
into what information the government gets its hands on.
The issue
caught fire after Edward Snowden, a former IT contractor at the National
Security Agency (NSA), revealed that US authorities were tapping into Internet
user data, sometimes using national security letters that bar companies from
telling anyone about the requests.
US
officials on Thursday said they would begin publishing annual tallies of
national security requests for Internet user data, but that step is not enough,
according to Smith.
“For
example, we believe it is vital to publish information that clearly shows the
number of national security demands for user content, such as the text of an
email,” Smith said.
He argued
that, along with providing numbers of requests, disclosures should provide
context regarding what is being sought.
“We believe
it’s possible to publish these figures in a manner that avoids putting security
at risk,” Smith said.
“With the
failure of our recent negotiations, we will move forward with litigation in the
hope that the courts will uphold our right to speak more freely.”
There has
been a wave of legal action since revelations in the media about the PRISM
program, believed to collect vast amounts of phone and Internet data as part of
efforts to protect national security.
Internet
companies have stated they release information only in response to specific
court orders, and claim that reports about providing easy access to US
authorities are exaggerated.
US authorities
insist the surveillance programs are entirely lawful and have helped thwart
dozens of terror attacks.
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