Richard Esguerra writes:
EFF has called on companies to stand with their users when the government comes looking for data. (If you haven’t done so, sign the petition urging companies to provide better transparency and privacy.) This article will provide a more detailed look at the last of the four elements required for a company to earn a gold star in our campaign: Fight for user privacy in Congress.
In prior blog posts about the “Who Has Your Back?” campaign, we’ve explained that companies largely rely on internal policies when the government comes seeking data about users. If those policies are weak, murky, or left unshared, we as users are prevented from making informed decisions about the privacy risks we face.
But we shouldn’t be dependent on company policies to protect our privacy. The law should protect it too, even as technologies change. And the companies that hold our data should stand with users in making the necessary legal updates. That’s why the “Who Has Your Back?” campaign urges companies to take steps like joining in the effort towards lasting, permanent improvements — an industry-wide raising of the bar for user privacy — by joining the Digital Due Process coalition (DDP).
Read more on EFF.