Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) isn’t the only online company that has been receiving orders from the U.S. government to release information about users. Many of the companies have been facing revolt among users over their privacy. While many companies only choose to reassure their users that their information is safe, many have sought to reveal the extent of government orders so that their customers remain confident in their services.
However, the government has provided restrictions on what companies can reveal and what not to. The government argues that there is some sensitive information that relates to the country’s security that cannot be allowed to get to the public domain.
Because of such restrictions, Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) has decided to go the justice way to be able to reveal all details of government orders. The company filed a lawsuit on Tuesday accusing the Justice Department, saying that the restrictions by the department violate the company’s First Amendment rights.
“It’s our belief that we are entitled under the First Amendment to respond to our users’ concerns and to the statements of U.S. government officials by providing information about the scope of U.S. government surveillance — including what types of legal process have not been received,” Ben Lee, a Twitter vice president, said in a post online. “We should be free to do this in a meaningful way, rather than in broad, inexact ranges.”
According to Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR), the rules are so strict that the company cannot even tell users what it hasn’t been requested for by the agencies.
There has been a wide outcry and tirade directed at the U.S. government over surveillance of user activities, particularly those of U.S. internet companies.
While it was never a big concern earlier, former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden blew it all up when he revealed the depth at which the U.S. agencies go with their surveillance. Since then, many companies have faced huge challenges explaining to their customers that their private information is safe.
Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) has also argued that it shouldn’t be restrained by the agreement that the government came into with some other tech companies such as Google Inc.
This article as been written by Victor Ochieng.
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