Yahoo! (YHOO) Issues Update on Transparency Report

Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO) General Counsel, Ron Bell, offered the following update to the company's transparency report:

oday we’re issuing our third transparency report, continuing our efforts to provide as much information as we can about government requests for our users’ data and government requests to remove content.

This latest transparency report contains information covering the first six months of this year (January 1 to June 30, 2014). This includes National Security Letters (NSLs) and criminal data requests (such as search warrants, court orders, and subpoenas issued in criminal investigations). FISA requests included are from July 1 - December 31, 2013, as they are subject to a six-month delay imposed by the U.S. Government.

At Yahoo, our users always come first. We evaluate any government request from a users first approach by:

• Narrowly interpreting government requests to minimize disclosure of user data
• Contesting requests we believe may violate a user’s human rights, including rights to privacy or free expression
• Publishing a transparency report to promote accountability and transparency

An important example of how we put users first is our recent effort to push the U.S. Government to release 1,500 pages of once-secret documents detailing our 2007-08 challenge to the expansion of U.S. surveillance laws. We are still pushing for the FISC to release additional materials from this case.

We also continue to advocate for legislative reform, both in the United States and around the world.

Through the Reform Government Surveillance Group, we are advocating for reform to ensure that U.S. surveillance laws are transparent, reasonable and subject to independent oversight. To that end, when Congress returns to session, the Senate should immediately consider the USA FREEDOM Act, introduced by Senators Leahy (D-VT), Lee (R-UT), Franken (D-MN) and Heller (R-NV). The USA FREEDOM Act would prevent the bulk collection of Internet metadata under various legal authorities. In turn, we could share more detail with our users about the type and frequency of national security data requests we receive.

On the international front, a number of countries seek to expand their surveillance authorities beyond their borders. Efforts by the U.S. Department of Justice to improve the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) process can help address this worrisome trend. We continue to engage on the critical MLAT reform process to protect our users.

We will continue our efforts to protect your information from unclear, improper, overbroad or unlawful government requests.

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