Apple says US law enforcement agencies have made thousands of requests for user info
Yahoo and Facebook have done it, and now it's Apple's turn to reveal the data requests it gets from the world's governments.
In the latest report released by the Cupertino company, it revealed that in the period between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2013, law enforcement agencies in the US have made 1,000 to 2,000 account requests that affect 2,000 to 3,000 specific accounts. Of that number, 0 to 1,000 accounts were disclosed, though Apple claims it objected to that same number of requests.
If some of these numbers sound awfully vague, it's because the US government doesn't allow the company to disclose the exact number of orders as well as which accounts are affected. Apple strongly opposes this, stating: "We strongly oppose this gag order, and Apple has made the case for relief from these restrictions in meetings and discussions with the White House, the U.S. Attorney General, congressional leaders, and the courts." Indeed, Apple has filed an Amicus brief at the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court) in support for greater transparency, and pledges to file a second one at the Ninth Circuit.
