The US government has reached a deal with tech companies on how much they can tell you about the data they are collecting from you.
Per the AP:
The Justice Department announced the deal Monday with Google Inc., Microsoft Corp., Yahoo Inc., Facebook Inc. and LinkedIn Corp. Other companies are expected to participate once it’s approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Companies wanted to make the disclosures to alleviate public speculation about their cooperation with the government. The government opposed the companies’ request, saying it could interfere with national security investigations.
According to the AP, the reports are still “very general in terms” and companies must wait for six months before they tell you anything. Until now, most government requests for data have come with National Security Letters, essentially orders to keep quiet. So now you’ll get to be a little bit more clued in as to the US government’s snooping habits. [AP]