[ NNSquad ] Google to DOJ and FBI: "Let us publish more national security request data"

[Lauren Weinstein <lauren@vortex.com>]

Google to DOJ and FBI: "Let us publish more national security request data"

     Dear Attorney General Holder and Director Mueller

     Google has worked tremendously hard over the past fifteen years
     to earn our users' trust. For example, we offer encryption across
     our services; we have hired some of the best security engineers
     in the world; and we have consistently pushed back on overly
     broad government requests for our users' data.

     We have always made clear that we comply with valid legal
     requests. And last week, the Director of National Intelligence
     acknowledged that service providers have received Foreign
     Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) requests.

     Assertions in the press that our compliance with these requests
     gives the U.S. government unfettered access to our users' data
     are simply untrue. However, government nondisclosure obligations
     regarding the number of FISA national security requests that
     Google receives, as well as the number of accounts covered by
     those requests, fuel that speculation.

     We therefore ask you to help make it possible for Google to
     publish in our Transparency Report aggregate numbers of national
     security requests, including FISA disclosures-in terms of both
     the number we receive and their scope. Google's numbers would
     clearly show that our compliance with these requests falls far
     short of the claims being made. Google has nothing to hide.

     Google appreciates that you authorized the recent disclosure of
     general numbers for national security letters. There have been no
     adverse consequences arising from their publication, and in fact
     more companies are receiving your approval to do so as a result
     of Google's initiative. Transparency here will likewise serve the
     public interest without harming national security.

     We will be making this letter public and await your response. 

     David Drummond 
     Chief Legal Officer

 - - - 

EXCELLENT!

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren 
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info
Founder:
 - Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org 
 - PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info
 - Data Wisdom Explorers League: http://www.dwel.org
 - Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance: http://www.gctip.org
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Google+: http://vortex.com/g+lauren / Twitter: http://vortex.com/t-lauren 
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com
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