63 technology companies ask for permission to release more data about US authority security requests

Following Edward Snowden’s scathing revelations about the NSA and the extent of the US’s spying capabilities, several large technology companies have asked that the US authorities allow them to release more details about security requests.

Companies including Apple, Google, Facebook and Twitter want permission to release regular statistics about the number and size of the data requests they receive. 63 organisations have sent a letter outlining the proposal to President Obama, Congress and NSA Director, General Keith Alexander on Thursday, with the action also supported by campaign groups including the Human Rights Watch and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Current permissions allow businesses to release some data about security requests, but in many cases they are required to ask the courts for permission first and restrict the extent of the information made available. Alexander acknowledged the public anger at Snowden's revelations, and argued that the companies are not culpable for complying with the data requests:

‘[These companies] don’t have a choice. Court order, they have to do this. What they want is the rest of the world to know that we’re not reading all of that email, so they want to give out the numbers.’
He went on to indicate that the proposals were something that the authorities would consider, but stressed that it was important to make sure that things like this were carried out correctly, and did not impact on ongoing FBI investigations.

Elsewhere, Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, has insisted that Snowden 'did [America] a service' by opening up questions regarding governmental access to private data, although this statement was immediately countered by several others attending the same national security conference in Colorado.  Snowden himself remains in limbo, stuck in Moscow airport where he has been for nearly a month as his disclosures continue to make waves all around the world.

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