New Disclosure: Tech Firms turn over thousands of customer records to NSA

[cali]

Tens of thousands of accounts associated with customers of Microsoft, Google, Facebook and Yahoo have their data turned over to US government authorities every six months as the result of secret court orders, the tech giants disclosed for the first time on Monday.

As part of a transparency deal reached last week with the Justice Department, four of the tech firms that participate in the National Security Agency’s Prism effort, which collects largely overseas internet communications, released more information about the volume of data the US demands they provide than they have ever previously been permitted to disclose.

<snip>


Yahoo disclosed that it gave the government communications content from between 30,000 and 30,999 accounts over the first six months of 2013, and fewer than 1,000 customer accounts that were subject to Fisa court orders for metadata.

Facebook disclosed that during the first half of 2013, it turned over content data from between 5000 and 5999 accounts – a rise of about 1000 from the previous six month period – and customer metadata associated with up to 999 accounts.

<snip>

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/03/microsoft-facebook-google-yahoo-fisa-surveillance-requests

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Is this just the least-dishonest thing the Obama administration allows

them to say?

One of the problems with secret laws and secret courts is that we can never know when we're being told the truth. And the track record here isn't good.

[cali]

2. I think that sums it up.

Now for the defender/adorers.

[MannyGoldstein]

3. Let me do the honors...

Snowden suxx!!!

[jsr]

9. Surveillance Is Freedom

[bobduca]

14. Not that there's anything wrong with that

Homophobic smears are kewl and ROFL-y if they come from a place of blind hyperpartisanship!

[frylock]

23. perhaps you can point out the homophobia for those of us playing at home?

[Aerows]

24. Since I'm gay

and I'm pretty much aware of what is and is not homophobia, could you explain the homophobia to a gay person like me? Unicorns shitting rainbows doesn't exactly strike me as homophobic, more like the "you wanted a pony" type of response to criticism, but hey, I could be wrong.

[GoneFishin]

4. But ... but .. It's only METADATA !!!!!

[cali]

5. except that the article specifies that content is revealed to the NSA

(and yes, I know you were being sarcastic, just wanted to point out that that adorer/defender tactic is bullshit)

[cali]

6. I'm going to kick the ever living shit out of this op

[Autumn]

7. About 1,000 out of about 30,000.

This is seriously fucking wrong.

[cali]

8. ho hum. more and more people simply accept this shit. including on DU.

it's a reflection of a sick, sick mentality.

[Demo_Chris]

10. It's different when our team cheats. nt

[cali]

11. Yep. It's good, because it's President Obama!!!

Where are all the adoring defenders? hmm.

[randome]

12. Yet all this data was retrieved as the result of legal warrants.

If you want to argue that we don't KNOW they were legal warrants, well, Google, Microsoft, etc. are not denying it. I would also point out that the targets of these warrants are likely suspects in an investigation and we don't expect the government to telegraph the scope of an investigation while it is ongoing.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You have to play the game to find out why you're playing the game. -Existenz[/center][/font][hr]

[cali]

15. Jaysus. Defending shit because it's legal. Fuck, the Nuremberg Laws were "legal".

And are you actually suggesting that all of these are likely suspects?

[randome]

16. Yes. I am.

Since our Constitution does not apply to the world, the NSA takes a much broader approach to gathering data on suspects. That doesn't mean it's right, that doesn't mean it's even productive. But comparing legal warrants to Nazi crimes is hyperbole.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Everything is a satellite to some other thing.[/center][/font][hr]

[cali]

17. I'm simply pointing out that using the "it's legal" defense, is empty

Segregation was legal. Feel better?

[randome]

18. The difference is that we can change this practice if we want.

But face facts. There are not enough people who give a damn about the NSA spying outside our borders. No organized protests, not much media outrage lately, either. It's pretty much run its course and now the reform proposals are getting underway.

Compare the NSA's international spying to people trying to pay their mortgage or find a better job or pay off that onerous student loan and you can see why this topic doesn't resonate with most other than an off-hand, "Sure, they should rein them in."
[hr][font color="blue"][center]No squirrels were harmed in the making of this post. Yet.[/center][/font][hr]

[Demo_Chris]

19. Which, at this point, makes you wonder about the rest...

The information gathered secretly, and without warrant or due process.

[randome]

21. Well, not me. I'm not one to worry about things I can't see.

So long as we have laws and regulations in place and there is no evidence of them being ignored, I'll put my energy to more pressing concerns.

If data is being gathered without a warrant, you'd think someone would protest. Unless the NSA is blackmailing everyone at Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc. But I think that's unlikely.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]“If you're not committed to anything, you're just taking up space.”
Gregory Peck, Mirage (1965)[/center][/font][hr]

[bobduca]

13. " largely overseas internet communications"

whew I thought they might be targeting USA Americans! as long as it's largely overseas, then I'm A-OK with this!

[Demo_Chris]

20. Well said citizen!

[Oilwellian]

22. Orwellian speak

Limited disclosure part of transparency is an oxymoron.

They're now allowed to disclose the number of FISA warrants and FBI letters (I found that interesting, who needs a secret court?) they're given to legally turn over our data. But we know those warrants are moot since they spy on all of us without individual warrants. Do they obtain the warrant after the fact as a way to CYA when our data is shared with local law enforcement? Why even bother when the locals are encouraged to keep the illegally obtained information secret and create a parallel construction?

It is good to know that all the illegal search data, aka, DISCOVERY is available from the tech companies to prosecute anyone. It's the DUE PROCESS that's no longer being adhered to. That's a lot of people being prosecuted by illegal means.