Internet search giant Google, Inc. (GOOG) has Tuesday challenged the surveillance gag order before a secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, citing the first amendment that gives it the right to talk under free speech protections.
Google is currently seeking permission to reveal more about its own involvement in the U.S. government's surveillance efforts as it has always pushed for transparency. The move will allow users to understand the extend of data that is generally requested by the government as part of their surveillance efforts.
Google was earlier in the month prevented from disclosing the number of requests it receives under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or FISA.
The National Security Agency receives data from Internet companies under a system that is dubbed Prism. Meanwhile, companies such as Google, Apple, Inc. (AAPL) and Facebook, Inc. (FB) have requested to be able to disclose the number of data requests they receive, as well as how many of their customers have been affected in order to maintain transparency.
The gag order was issued on technology companies after they requested the U.S. government to allow it to publish the details of national security requests, including FISA disclosures, in terms of the numbers and scope.
Google's chief legal officer David Drummond in a letter at that time requested, ''to help make it possible for Google to publish in our Transparency Report aggregate numbers of national security requests, including FISA disclosures—in terms of both the number we receive and their scope.''
Drummond added, "Google's numbers would clearly show that our compliance with these requests falls far short of the claims being made. Google has nothing to hide."
Google's request came after speculation in the media that its compliance of requests from the U.S. government gives the government unfettered access to its users' data. Google said such assertions in the press are ''simply untrue.''
Google has reportedly said that it is currently unable to clear its name and reputation after the baseless media reports emerged, due to the surveillance gag order.
GOOG closed Tuesday's regular trading session at $900.62, up $14.37 or 1.62% on a volume of 2.17 million shares.
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