Government Google Data Requests: Scope Unclear

Google has begun disclosing limited information about U.S. government investigations that demand consumer data and, usually, silence from those cooperating.

Google Chromebook Pixel: Visual Tour (click image for larger view and for slideshow)
For the first time, Google has begun providing in its periodic
Transparency Reports
information about the number of National Security Letters it receives.
National Security Letters (NSL) are demands for information, issued to individuals or organizations by U.S. government agencies, primarily through the FBI, engaged in investigations that affect national security. The FBI uses these letters to obtain transactional information about phone calls and email correspondence from service providers, for example.
One of the things that distinguishes NSLs from other investigatory instruments such as subpoenas is that they typically come with a gag order that prohibits the recipient from revealing that a NSL was received.
Some NSLs have been
successfully challenged in court
, such as one issued to Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive, in 2007. But the courts have largely upheld the lawfulness of NSLs, which are supported under the Patriot Act.
[ Who says foreign IT workers are smarter? Read
H-1B Workers Not Best Or Brightest, Study Says
. ]
In order to reveal that it receives NSLs, Google obtained the
consent
of the U.S. government. Were thankful to U.S. government officials for working with us to provide greater insight into the use of NSLs, said Richard Salgado, legal director of law enforcement and information security at Google, in a blog post.
However, Googles disclosure is deliberately vague. It is providing a numerical range of NSLs received rather than a specific number.
This is to address concerns raised by the FBI, Justice Department and other agencies that releasing exact numbers might reveal information about investigations, explained Salgado.
Google says that it received somewhere between 0 and 999 NSLs each year from 2009 through 2012. Through this imprecise range of NSLs, U.S. authorities sought information about 1000 to 1999 user accounts each year except for 2010, when data about 2000 to 2999 accounts was demanded.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice,
24,287 NSLs were issued
in 2010, a 64% increase from a year earlier.
Google declined to provide details about its discussions with government officials beyond noting that officials had been helpful in working with the company to allow limited disclosure. Weve been talking for a long time with the FBI and Department of Justice about how we can provide greater transparency, consistent with the law, a company spokesman said in an email. They were thoughtful and cooperative in helping us achieve our goal of providing greater transparency about NSLs consistent with the law.
Google has been resisting
overreaching government demands for information
and censorship since 2005, when it fought the Justice Departments effort to obtain user search data. The company stood up against censorship in China and has continued to improve its Transparency Report over the past few years.
Eva Galperin, global policy analyst for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said in a phone interview that although the EFF is excited that Google is providing NSL information for the first time, the downside is that the aggregate numbers are so vague, its really hard to tell if the number NSLs [Google is receiving] is rising or falling.
She added that the EFF continues to be concerned about NSLs because theyre handled in such a secretive manner, with a complete lack of transparency and without sufficient checks and balances. What you can really learn from this data is just how much we dont know about government surveillance, she said.
Galperin observed that although Googles leadership in transparency has inspired at least half a dozen other companies including Twitter and Sonic.Net, there are still key players who dont even give us the most basic information about government requests. She said those key players include Facebook and Microsoft, which owns Skype.

Last News
▸ Making use of a homemade Android army ◂ Discovered: 23/12/2024 Category: security	▸ CryptoWall is more widespread but less lucrative than CryptoLocker. ◂ Discovered: 23/12/2024 Category: security	▸ Feds probe cyber breaches at JPMorgan, other banks. ◂ Discovered: 23/12/2024 Category: security

**Cyber Security Categories**
Google Dorks Database	Exploits Vulnerability	Exploit Shellcodes

CVE List

Tools/Apps

News/Aarticles

Phishing Database

Deepfake Detection

Trends/Statistics & Live Infos

Tags:
Government Google Data Requests: Scope Unclear