Verizon Joins Tech Companies in Producing Government Data Demand Transparency Reports
Several tech and social media companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and Twitter have begun producing regular transparency reports to provide as much information that they can (which isn't much) about requests or demands for user information from government agencies.
Telecom companies, though, have largely been silent and cooperative partners with the government, and they've been catching flak for it from some security and privacy activists. Today Verizon announced they will start producing their own transparency reports. From Security Week:
Verizon on Thursday said it would publish a report that would disclose data on the number of law enforcement requests it received for customer information in 2013 in the United States and other nations in which it does business.
Verizon's transparency report will identify the total number of law enforcement agency requests received from government authorities in criminal cases, the telecommunications giant said.
The report will also break out user data by category such as subpoenas, court orders and warrants. Verizon will also provide other details about the legal demands it receives, as well as information about requests for information in emergencies.
Verizon said the first report would come in early 2014, with updates being published semi-annually.
Though this move was probably in the planning for a while, it's probably worth noting that the Verizon was the telecom service whose customers' data collection Monday's NSA ruling addressed.
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