Your Web News in One Place

Help Webnuz

Referal links:

Sign up for GreenGeeks web hosting
June 8, 2013 02:14 am -04

NYT explains gaps between PRISM leaks and company denials of 'direct access'

Yesterday a series of leaked PowerPoint slides in the Washington Post revealed a program codenamed PRISM that allowed government investigators access to data from a number of top internet companies. That leak has been followed up in the last 24 hours by a series of blanket denials as tech companies (and their CEOs, including Google's Larry Page and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg) claimed they do not give "backdoor access," only generally acknowledging that they do respond to legal requests for specific information. Meanwhile government officials including President Obama responded to the claims mostly by claiming whatever is going on -- including the bulk collection of call logs by the NSA -- is legal and has been "repeatedly authorized by Congress."

Tonight, a New York Times article may be able to explain the difference between the statements, citing information from people briefed on the program and lawyers that handle the requests. Their report is that the companies discussed ways to "efficiently and securely" share data about foreign users in response to requests made under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. In contrast to the initial reports of direct server access, this report claims when a government request is made under an individual FISA request, it's reviewed by company lawyers and then sent over, sometimes electronically using company servers. That can include an investigation into a specific person, logs of certain search terms, and in some cases "real-time transmission of data."

Developing...

Filed under: , , , ,

Comments

Source: New York Times


Original Link: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/07/new-york-time-report-may-fill-the-gap-between-prism-leaks-and-co/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campa

Share this article:    Share on Facebook
View Full Article

Engadget

Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics. Engadget was launched in March of 2004 in partnership with the Weblogs, Inc. Network (WI

More About this Source Visit Engadget