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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