Facebook calls for transparency in petition to US Intelligence Surveillance Court
The website says that government's responsibility of ensuring safety is possible while being transparent.
Facebook files petition asking for permission to disclose reuqests it recieves for user data. PHOTO: REUTERS
Popular social network Facebook filed a petition in the US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court on Monday asking that it be allowed to disclose directives it receives under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
In an official statement posted on the website, Facebook said that its earlier efforts to have such directives disclosed was met with success, as a number of companies including Facebook were allowed to release the total number of law enforcement requests for user data it had entertained.
"That one step is not enough," continued the statement. "The actions and statements of the US government have not adequately addressed the concerns of people around the world about whether their information is safe and secure with Internet companies."
The website maintained that while it was important for the government to ensure the safety of the public, it was possible to do so while being transparent.
The US administration has scrambled to defend surveillance programmes in the wake of the leaks by Edward Snowden, a former IT contractor at the National Security Agency. Revelations about PRISM and other programmes by the NSA to capture and store personal information gleaned from emails, phone calls and web searches have sparked outrage in Europe.
Snowden received temporary asylum in Russia on August 1 but is wanted by Washington on espionage charges linked to his media disclosures.
Last week Internet giant Yahoo also released its transparency report which revealed the number of requests it had received from governments world over for information relating to certain accounts.
In an official statement posted on the website, Facebook said that its earlier efforts to have such directives disclosed was met with success, as a number of companies including Facebook were allowed to release the total number of law enforcement requests for user data it had entertained.
"That one step is not enough," continued the statement. "The actions and statements of the US government have not adequately addressed the concerns of people around the world about whether their information is safe and secure with Internet companies."
The website maintained that while it was important for the government to ensure the safety of the public, it was possible to do so while being transparent.
The US administration has scrambled to defend surveillance programmes in the wake of the leaks by Edward Snowden, a former IT contractor at the National Security Agency. Revelations about PRISM and other programmes by the NSA to capture and store personal information gleaned from emails, phone calls and web searches have sparked outrage in Europe.
Snowden received temporary asylum in Russia on August 1 but is wanted by Washington on espionage charges linked to his media disclosures.
Last week Internet giant Yahoo also released its transparency report which revealed the number of requests it had received from governments world over for information relating to certain accounts.