Google filed a motion with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court Tuesday asking it to relax the gag orders that prevent the internet company from disclosing information about the number of requests for user data it receives from the U.S. government. The legal filing argues the company has a “right under the First Amendment” to disclose the number of requests for user data Google receives from law enforcement under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the total number of users involved in these requests.Google’s request was prompted by the increased attention on the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs that came after leaked documents were published by the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers. Those stories alleged that nine major technology companies including Google cooperated with the government and allowed the NSA to tap into their systems. Many of the tech companies named in the stories pushed back and denied they ever gave the government “direct access” to their servers.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=88221