InsightaaS: Naked Security is a news/blog site hosted by security vendor Sophos. In this post, Lisa Vass expands on a piece by Ars Technica, discussing how Apple’s inclusion of a ‘warrant canary’ in a recent report helps position the company for a future challenge to a potential Patriot Act information request.
If Ars Technica’s reading of subtle legal language (or lack thereof) proves correct, Apple on Tuesday might well have slipped in a ‘warrant canary’ to its latest transparency report.
From page 5:Apple has never received an order under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. We would expect to challenge such an order if served on us.
With that simple statement, Ars Technica’s Cyrus Farivar explains, Apple has become one of the few big tech companies to use a warrant canary – a method that companies can use to inform their customers when they have not been served with a secret government subpoena.
Such secret subpoenas, including those covered under the Patriot Act, come with gag orders that prevent companies from telling customers they’ve been served…
Read the entire post: http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2013/11/07/apple-publishes-new-transparency-report-is-there-a-warrant-canary-nesting-inside/