It’s that time of year again The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) has released its annual report card, Showing how our favorite companies stack in relation to government requests of private data.

This report rates 24 of the leading technology companies in five different categories.

Categories: 

• Do they follow industry-accepted best practices?
• Do they tell notifying Users of Government Requests?
• Do they disclose data retention policies?
• Do they disclose government content removal requests?
• Do they oppose backdoors into their data?

Summery:

There were a nine companies that received perfect ratings (Adobe, Apple, CREDO, Dropbox, Sonic, Wickr, Wikimedia, Wordpress.com, and Yahoo), while some fell short three companies stood out from the pack with the lowest marks, making you really think twice at their services (AT&T, Verizon, and WhatsApp).

Every year, EFF explores a common concern amongst campaigns, This year it was backdoors. Most of these companies agree with the notion of not giving governments access via back doors with the exception to AT&T, Verizon, and Reddit. 

My Thoughts:

I personally believe either everything should be open and everyone should have access or it should be closed and no one should have access. I don’t believe a select few should have access to data that is closed, nor should there be back doors built into products and services. 

Apple has been pioneering and leading the way on this area for some time. They believe and so do I that if backdoors are built in someone will want access. The good the bad and the ugly will want access and try to get at it any way they can even by force. So why build it in if their was no real intent in using it. I feel very strong about this myself and believe in what Apple and a few others are standing up for. 

The flip side of the coin and the argument that continually comes up is. What happens when the need arises to get into say a phone. Like to help in an infestation on a kidnapping or homeland needing access for a terrorist threat. Don’t get me wrong here these are all good intentions. 

Isn’t there a saying “The road to XXXX is paved with good intentions”. Again don’t get me wrong there are good people in your city or country. Data can go global in a blink of an eye by bad people around the globe. What were the police departments and other agency doing before this technology, have we made it too easy for them that it’s too hard to do the foot work.

Maybe someone could explain that constant argument for me. When a policeman needs to get into a phone because a child was kidnapped. Shouldn’t any good parent know the access codes to get into that phone or device. I’m a parent and my boys would not have a phone or device if I did not have access to it. Seems pretty simple to me.. Am I missing something here?

How was your favorite company rated? What’s your thoughts on companies building in backdoors in their services and products?

Chime in down below, we really want to know your thoughts on this.