AT&T Speaks Out About Government Surveillance Position

 Along with Verizon, AT&T will be publishing a semi-annual online report that will provide information on the number of law enforcement requests for customer information. The company expects to publish the first report, covering information received in 2013, in early 2014. “The debate about government surveillance programs and striking the right balance between protecting personal privacy and providing national security is a healthy one. It’s important that policymakers worldwide get it right so that people can continue to enjoy the benefits of technology and communications with confidence,” said Wayne Watts, AT&T Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel. When it comes to governmental surveillance and requests for customer information, all companies are compelled to comply with the laws of the country in which they operate. Those laws not only govern what companies must do when they receive lawful government requests, but often limit what companies can say publicly about the requests. But here is what we can say:

• Protecting our customers’ information and privacy is paramount. Everywhere we operate, we go to great lengths to make sure our customers’ data is safe and secure. And we do so in compliance with the laws of the country where the service is provided.
• When we receive a government request for customer information, whether it’s a court order, a subpoena, or other method, we ensure that the request and our response are completely lawful and proper in that country.
• We work hard to make sure that the requests or orders are valid and that our response to them is lawful. We’ve challenged court orders, subpoenas and other requests from local, state and federal governmental entities – and will continue to do so, if we believe they are unlawful.
• We do not allow any government agency to connect directly to our network to gather, review or retrieve our customers’ information.
• We only provide wireless customer location data in response to a court order except in the rare cases in which an emergency compels us to do so. Examples include when law enforcement enlists us to locate a missing child or a kidnapping suspect, and they provide us assurance that a real emergency affecting human life exists. (Source: AT&T)