FISA Court Subpoena Data (Google) from Ed Chi.
From the post:
Todd Underwood originally shared:
This is huge. Google is finally able to publish information about the number and scope of the FISA (secret intelligence court) subpoenas received. The takeaway: it’s massively fewer subpoenas and accounts involved than many people suspected.
There are caveats. Google is required to delay reporting by six months and required to only report information in bands of 1,000. But it’s massively better than nothing.
The world, but especially US citizens, have a right to know what kind of surveillance their government is authorizing. It has been cool to see companies like Google push for this kind of openness. Reform is a long time coming and this is only the beginning. Baby steps.
The Google post with data: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/shedding-some-light-on-foreign.html
It’s a good thing I posted about How to Lie with Statistics today!
The real danger from these numbers was voiced by Todd Underwood, when he said:
The takeaway: it’s massively fewer subpoenas and accounts involved than many people suspected.
That’s the key problem.
They aren’t violating everybody’s rights, just those nasty people hiding behind that tree over there.
How did that poem go?
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out– Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out– Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out– Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.