Twitter Files Suit over National Security Data -- Security Today

Twitter Files Suit over National Security Data

By Ginger Hill
Oct 09, 2014

Social media giant Twitter Files Suit over National Security Data Twitter is stepping up, challenging a tangled web of gag orders and secrecy rules by filing suit against the Justice Department. Twitter feels that their First Amendment right has been violated with restrictions forbidding them to disclose the number of national security letters and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court orders it receives. Even if that number happens to be zero, Twitter is currently not allowed to report this.

Obviously, Twitter receives national security-related requests for user data or they wouldn’t be making such a big deal about not being able to report the actual numbers. Instead, they must report in broad ranges.

Ben Lee, Twitter vice president, hopes the outcome of the hearing is that Twitter will be able to publish the full version of a transparency report prepared this year, including the now forbidden details. He believes that Twitter should be entitled, under the First Amendment, to respond to their users’ concerns about the scope of U.S. government surveillance.

People who are against what Twitter is doing say that national security could be at risk if data such as this is published, while supporters of Twitter say that the government should not be allowed to prohibit the publication of truthful speech about government actions.

What about you, readers? Do you support Twitter’s lawsuit or do you think they should not be able to publicly report this data in the name of national security?

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now
- Artificial Intelligence
Why the Future of Video Security Is Happening Outside the Cloud

For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reasons. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. Read Now
- Video Surveillance
UL Solutions Launches Artificial Intelligence Safety Certification Services

UL Solutions Inc., a global leader in safety science, today announced the launch of artificial intelligence (AI) safety certification services, enabling comprehensive assessments for evaluating the safety of AI-powered products. Read Now
- Artificial Intelligence
ESA Announces Initiative to Introduce the SECURE Act in State Legislatures

The Electronic Security Association (ESA), the national voice for the electronic security and life safety industry, has announced plans to introduce the SECURE Act in state legislatures across the country beginning in 2025. The proposal, known as Safeguarding Election Candidates Using Reasonable Expenditures, provides a clear framework that allows candidates and elected officials to use campaign funds for professional security services. Read Now
- Guard Services
Ransomware Attacks Rise for the First Time in Six Months

Ransomware attacks have risen for the first time in six months, increasing by 28% month-on-month to 421 attacks. While overall attack volume remained below 500, the uptick may signal a renewed escalation heading into the year’s most active period for cyber criminals. Read Now
- Cybersecurity

Security Today eNews

Sign up today for essential industry news and product information that can help you stay afloat in the fast-paced world of security.

Email Address*Country*

Please type the letters/numbers you see above.

Webinars

Whitepapers

New Products

EasyGate SPT SPD

Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.
Connect ONE®

Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.
Luma x20

Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”