Tech Companies Unhappy with Modest NSA Reforms
Complaints that the administration has been silent about reports of tapping into data cables
Technology leaders such as Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp. issued new complaints Monday about President Barack Obama's government snooping overhauls along with new broad figures on the amount of data requests they receive from U.S. intelligence agencies.
The shift in tone by some Silicon Valley companies shows that the Obama administration still hasn't addressed many of the industry's major concerns as it attempts to quell privacy hawks following disclosure by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.
Companies issuing statements and data related to intelligence-gathering Monday included Google, Microsoft, Yahoo Inc., and Facebook Inc. Apple Inc. released its own figures last week.
Last week, the Justice Department cut a deal to allow the firms–for the first time–to disclose the amount of requests they receive from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, commonly referred to as FISA orders. The move was meant to head off potential legislation or an extended court battle, and companies praised the move as a step in the right direction.