Apple, Facebook, others defy authorities, notify users of secret data demands
By Craig Timberg, Washington Post
Major U.S. technology companies have largely ended the practice of quietly complying with investigators’ demands for e-mail records and other online data, saying that users have a right to know in advance when their information is targeted for government seizure.
This increasingly defiant industry stand is giving some of the tens of thousands of Americans whose Internet data gets swept into criminal investigations each year the opportunity to fight in court to prevent disclosures. Prosecutors, however, warn that tech companies may undermine cases by tipping off criminals, giving them time to destroy vital electronic evidence before it can be gathered.
Fueling the shift is the industry’s eagerness to distance itself from the government after last year’s disclosures about National Security Agency surveillance of online services. Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google all are updating their policies to expand routine notification of users about government data seizures, unless specifically gagged by a judge or other legal authority, officials at all four companies said. Yahoo announced similar changes in July.
It may be too late for them to restore their credibility in these issues, but good for them for trying.
I have been a supporter of President Obama since the beginning, and remain one, especially considering the sorry competition, but it’s clear that a politician who made his mark facilitating the compromises necessary for community organizing has been over his head trying to control the hard heads who place their version of national security above any of the freedoms declared and implied by our Constitution.
Eric Holder, pretty much a tool of the typical bone heads in the U.S. Attorneys office, should have been kicked out half way through the first term. The fact that he’s still there says everything anyone needs to know about our Administration’s concern for the rights and freedoms of the people.
And don’t even start me on the Homeland Security clowns.
AMEN copper.
While on the subject….Facebook has become so obtrusive across the internet, I am really cutting back my use of internet outside of email.
For instance….I opened a Facebook account years ago, to see some family photos posted there. After seeing what it really was, I decided it was not for me and I tried to cancel the account, and you cannot do that. You can put it in idle status, but it is there forever.
More recently…like yesterday,
I was asked if I would take a survey for a company I purchased items from, and I agreed, because this company had gone out of their way to resolve a shipping issue, but then found I had to submit the survey through Facebook. And if I didn’t have a facebook page one would be created for me so I could “share with friends.”
Totally insideous collection of information on all of us, and I can not see it going anywhere good.