Yahoo Allegedly Scanned Emails for U.S. Intelligence Agencies

[CharlesHarris]

A Reuters exclusive alleged that Yahoo scanned the emails of hundreds of millions of users for terms provided by the NSA or FBI. According to the report, the search was for a specific "signature" used by an as-yet unnamed state-sponsored terrorist group.

The searches apparently occurred in real time as messages arrived in a user’s inbox. It is also alleged that the intelligence sharing operation caused several executives to leave the company, including the Chief Information Security Officer, who disagreed with the policy. Yahoo has not responded to the claims as orders from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court cannot be disclosed.

While government agencies have requested internet or telecomm corporations hand over information in bulk before, this is the first publicly known instance of scanning occurring in real time. Some information security experts believe that Yahoo should have challenged the edict given its size and scope. This situation could reignite the debate over the private sector’s dual obligations to support national security initiatives while simultaneously protecting users’ privacy.