NSA scandal: Twitter and Microsoft join rivals in call to disclose government data requests [View all]
Why do you think these corporations are doing this? At least in part, because they've got a lot to disclose.
Microsoft and Twitter have joined calls by Google and Facebook to be able to publish more detail about how many secret requests they receive to hand over user data under the controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa).
"Permitting greater transparency on the aggregate volume and scope of national security requests, including Fisa orders, would help the community understand and debate these important issues," Microsoft said in an emailed statement to the Reuters news agency.
At Twitter the chief lawyer, Alex Macgillivray, tweeted: "We'd like more NSL [national security letter] transparency and Twitter supports efforts to make that happen."
A national security letter is used by US government agencies such as the FBI and NSA to demand access to data from companies – who are forbidden from revealing that they have been served such a request
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/12/microsoft-twitter-rivals-nsa-requests
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