Ana M. Gonzalez
83 Geo. Wash. L. Rev. 1058
The recent Snowden leaks have ignited fiery debates over government requests
for private user information and tech companies’ complicit role in bulk
data collection. Some information and communications technology firms
have urged government to reform its surveillance practices for private user
data. Many others, however, remain silent. This Note argues that Congress
should compel Internet and telecommunications companies to make a standardized
disclosure when the government requests data. A flexible SEC disclosure
for government requests meets the twin aims of satisfying companies’
desire to supply the public with information, while setting a precedent of government
accountability for the future. This solution also standardizes the format
and substance of transparency reports. Because the few companies that
currently publish reports do so in vastly different manners, the proposed disclosure
would provide the industry with a much-needed uniform transparency model.
