Yet another type of Big Tech-government online collusion has been revealed, where foreign governments reportedly use app push notifications to spy on users.
In a statement to Reuters, Apple and Google appeared to admit that they collaborated with governments to surveil Americans’ activity via the notifications of smartphones’ applications. These admissions came in response to a letter from Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), who called attention to the potential government surveillance. The rumored surveillance and reported U.S. government secrecy about it follow ongoing revelations of coordination between Big Tech companies and the government in censoring content. This issue has been highlighted again through newly published research by Twitter Files journalists Michael Shellenberger and Matt Taibbi.
Apple stated that the government had prohibited them from sharing information about the contentious allegations, as reported by Reuters. “In this case, the federal government prohibited us from sharing any information,” the Big Tech company claimed. “Now that this method has become public we are updating our transparency reporting to detail these kinds of requests.”
Wyden, in a post to X (formerly Twitter), stated that Google also confirmed the government surveillance but, unlike Apple, requires “a court order for US requests.”
Wyden sent a letter to Biden’s Attorney General Merrick Garland, requesting the Department of Justice (DOJ) to “repeal or modify any policies” limiting public discussion of this notification surveillance by the government. The DOJ declined to provide a comment to Reuters on the disturbing allegations.
Wyden explained in a press release, “Push notifications are alerts sent by phone apps to users' smartphones. These alerts pass through a digital post office run by the phone operating system provider - overwhelmingly Apple or Google. Because of that structure, the two companies have visibility into how their customers use apps and could be compelled to provide this information to U.S. or foreign governments.” It seems the senator was right to highlight this potential threat to privacy and freedom.
The alleged surveillance came on the heels of more evidence that the federal government undermines the free speech of Americans online. Taibbi and Shellenberger’s ongoing CTIL Files continue to expose the Censorship Industrial Complex.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact Google at 650-253-0000 and demand it be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on so-called hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
