As to their role:
For our part, we are focused on keeping users’ data secure — deploying the latest encryption technology to prevent unauthorized surveillance on our networks and by pushing back on government requests to ensure that they are legal and reasonable in scope.
The companies list 4 basic principles to which the Governments should adhere. You can read them here.
- Limiting Governments’ Authority to Collect Users’ Information
- Oversight and Accountability
- Transparency About Government Demands
- Respecting the Free Flow of Information
- Avoiding Conflicts Among Governments
I may be in the minority on this, but I am more concerned about the information these companies collect on us than I am the Government's dragnet policies. Notice not one company makes a statement they will cease complying with lawful Government requests for information. All it takes is a subpoena for law enforcement to get vasts amount of specific data about you from phone companies and internet providers.
When the Government dragnets 5 million cell phone numbers and call data, it has limited resources and personnel to examine them all. In a perverted way, the more numbers they get, the less likely it is that any one person will be examined. By contrast, the excessive sharing policies of the social media companies results in all the connections of any individual the Government sets its sights on being handed to it on a silver platter, with just a subpoena, and in some cases, a warrant.
Instead of writing letters asking for legislative change, I'd like to see these companies challenge the requests for information on their customers and let a judge decide, rather than just handing over the requested data. Maybe the companies could disconnect their fax numbers so law enforcement can't just fax over the requests. They could give their employees new email addresses and specify they are not to be used as contacts for law enforcement requests. Let the cops do it the old way: by letter demand and mail. Except in the case of a true emergency, there's no reason this information has to be provided with a 24 hour turnaround. Slowing down the process might serve as a deterrent -- the cops have gotten too used to instant gratification when it comes to data requests.
So, from my point of view, good for the internet companies for writing a letter, but they could be doing so much more.
