This is a poor headline that does not accurately reflect the situation. Microsoft and Facebook made deals with the government to include NSLs and FISA warrants in their total disclosure numbers as long as they kept them grouped together, but Google had already made a deal in the past to disclose NSLs separately from regular law enforcement warrant numbers and accepting the new deal would've forced them to lump the NSLs in with the rest, reducing the usefulness of the overall numbers. Instead they seem to be pushing to be allowed to disclose regular warrants, FISA warrants and NSLs all separately. This is a good thing.
I believe that data covered only NSLs and explicitly didn't cover FISA requests. In fact, Google's spokes person makes this clear in the article:
" a Google spokesman said the company has 'always believed that it’s important to differentiate between different types of government requests,' referring to requests for data in criminal cases, and data requests stemming from national security-related, classified orders.
'Lumping the two categories together would be a step back for users,' the Google spokesman added in the statement. 'Our request to the government is clear: to be able to publish aggregate numbers of national security requests, including FISA disclosures, separately.'"
Despite Microsoft and Facebook being allowed to release data, Google is refusing. Google claims "Lumping the two categories together would be a step back for users,” the Google spokesman added in the statement. “Our request to the government is clear: to be able to publish aggregate numbers of national security requests, including FISA disclosures, separately"
This strikes me as bullshit. One, more data seems always to be better. Two, google already releases some data on non NSL/FISA requests[0]. We'd have some idea which is which and not just lump it all together.
Microsofts numbers were odd too: they only gave requests, not effected accounts (a marked contrast to the rather complete info Facebook gave out). Why the discrepancy ? Did Facebook not get many request, so they were allowed to release everything? Did Microsoft batch requests and so those mere 7k requests did give out huge amount? Did Google actually make them file individual requests -- which would be inline with their denial earlier this week?
It seems the DOJ/NSA is only letting people release (accurate) statistics that might understat the problem.
No, what's happening here is that Google is continuing to push the USG to be able to publish fine-grained data, while Facebook is publishing less informative aggregates.
In other words, Google is going to bat for its users, and being punished for it because of the optics that sets up. How does it feel to be a tool of the NSA? :)
More (lousy) data is not always better. Facebook's own statement:
These requests run the gamut – from things like a local sheriff trying to find a missing child, to a federal marshal tracking a fugitive, to a police department investigating an assault, to a national security official investigating a terrorist threat.
Can you tell, from this, if it's 5, 50, 500 or 5000 requests coming from security or intelligence services? Facebook is basically washing its hands of the issue. Google is insisting that they be allowed to release data that, albeit aggregate, is at least meaningful. They're, as they have been consistently in this matter, doing the right thing here.
[+] [-] LoganCale|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] anologwintermut|12 years ago|reply
" a Google spokesman said the company has 'always believed that it’s important to differentiate between different types of government requests,' referring to requests for data in criminal cases, and data requests stemming from national security-related, classified orders.
'Lumping the two categories together would be a step back for users,' the Google spokesman added in the statement. 'Our request to the government is clear: to be able to publish aggregate numbers of national security requests, including FISA disclosures, separately.'"
[+] [-] anologwintermut|12 years ago|reply
This strikes me as bullshit. One, more data seems always to be better. Two, google already releases some data on non NSL/FISA requests[0]. We'd have some idea which is which and not just lump it all together.
Microsofts numbers were odd too: they only gave requests, not effected accounts (a marked contrast to the rather complete info Facebook gave out). Why the discrepancy ? Did Facebook not get many request, so they were allowed to release everything? Did Microsoft batch requests and so those mere 7k requests did give out huge amount? Did Google actually make them file individual requests -- which would be inline with their denial earlier this week?
It seems the DOJ/NSA is only letting people release (accurate) statistics that might understat the problem.
[0]http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/userdatarequests/?m...
[+] [-] tptacek|12 years ago|reply
In other words, Google is going to bat for its users, and being punished for it because of the optics that sets up. How does it feel to be a tool of the NSA? :)
[+] [-] glurgh|12 years ago|reply
These requests run the gamut – from things like a local sheriff trying to find a missing child, to a federal marshal tracking a fugitive, to a police department investigating an assault, to a national security official investigating a terrorist threat.
Can you tell, from this, if it's 5, 50, 500 or 5000 requests coming from security or intelligence services? Facebook is basically washing its hands of the issue. Google is insisting that they be allowed to release data that, albeit aggregate, is at least meaningful. They're, as they have been consistently in this matter, doing the right thing here.
[+] [-] jacalata|12 years ago|reply