back to article FBI takes gag out of Cloudflare's mouth after three-year legal battle

Cloudflare successfully fended off an FBI demand for people's private information, we can report this week now that a gagging order has been ripped away. In February 2013, the Feds slapped a National Security Letter (NSL) on the San Francisco-based web delivery biz, requiring it to hand over some customer account records and …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Which customer ?

    Paris because it might just be....

    1. Wzrd1 Silver badge

      A certain pirate bayage...

      Which remains upon various and sundry watchlists...

  2. Martin-73 Silver badge

    I'd say that the gag was unlawful

    As a company doing business in multiple jurisdictions, surely most of those are exempt from the US laws?

    1. Youngone Silver badge

      Re: I'd say that the gag was unlawful

      That might be one argument, but it sounds like they're trying for the nuclear option of having NSL's declared unconstitutional.

      I'm a little surprised it's taken this long for someone to challenge the whole NSL thing because the general principal of having the FBI declare "Give us this, and you can't discuss it with anyone" seems pretty sketchy to me.

      I am not a lawyer, but I do play one on the Internet sometimes.

      1. Mark 85

        Re: I'd say that the gag was unlawful

        I'm a little surprised it's taken this long for someone to challenge the whole NSL

        It's lawyers and government and bureaucrats. Re-reading the article gives us that Cloudfare has been fighting this for quite awhile which, given the players involved, would be normal by their standards. I just hope the courts will look at the Constitutional aspects and agree that NSL's do violate the Constitution.

    2. Velv
      Joke

      Re: I'd say that the gag was unlawful

      "...surely most of those are exempt from the US laws?"

      Nothing is exempt from US Laws. Nothing!

  3. Mage Silver badge
    Coat

    Frightening

    I mean the FBI ought to be the good guys, not an evil Goliath being fought off by David CloudFlare.

    I thought the USA Government was fighting for Truth, Justice and the American Way?

    Spying without court orders, (on Americans or anyone else private), extra-judicial executions (drones in Pakistan), Police shooting unarmed people (their skin tint may make it more likely but actually is irrelevant to the issue, all lives matter), TSA seizing electronic items / data without court order (and claiming they can do it outside USA!). DMCA and DRM contravenes international law on copyright. Stupid patents, Trademarks and Design Patents. Stupid no choice race for President.

    Winter is coming.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Frightening

      Re: Winter is coming.

      Somebody needs to make a meme of the GoT Nights King topped by Donald Trump's hair :)

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Frightening @Marketing Hack

        Except this all happened on Barry's watch!

        But "Donald" o_O

    2. elDog

      Re: Frightening

      @Mage - Yes, your winter is coming....

      However, I'm sure we're all well protected behind the anonononymty of El Reg. As many of my friends are wont to say, "Comrade grab your bunk."

      The world has not revolved enough times. The businesses ($$$) have conspired with the power brokers (MEME) for millennia. The proles (vvv) have always been shafted (-->-->-->). Perhaps in another 10,000,000 revolutions we'll all be good ants.

    3. Voland's right hand Silver badge

      Re: Frightening

      I mean the FBI ought to be the good guys

      Watch J. Edgar: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1616195/

      Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

    4. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: Frightening

      "Truth, Justice and the American Way"

      Shouldn't that be "or"?

      1. Red Bren
        Headmaster

        Re: Frightening

        xor

    5. Gert Leboski
      Pint

      Re: Frightening

      Thanks Mage. An excellent summary. Wish I could up-vote you more.

  4. Alistair
    Windows

    As my mother puts it

    Truth and Justice in the American Way.

    Jedgar was a result of the times. Oliver Stone's series on American history is a good input if you want to get the idea of why the system is bent the way it is.

    @AC "But this all happened on Barry's watch"

    What B. Obama will stand out for in historical terms is that he did this with a level of grace and style that we've not seen in a hell of a long time. I do believe that he honestly tried to change one or two small things. At least as a front man he played his role well. The Bush and Clinton attempts at dynasty need to be sheared off at the toes, and Trump is just the utter opposite of Obama.

    I stand by the United States of Goldman Sachs comments. And will stand behind that assessment until such time as we have a new Glass-Stegal rule and the investment banks are evicted from the commodities markets (Thanks GWB).

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: As my mother puts it

      "What B. Obama will stand out for in historical terms is that he did this with a level of grace and style that we've not seen in a hell of a long time...and Trump is just the utter opposite of Obama."

      Yeah, I was watching Trumps performance with the CNN reporter. Trump came across as neither a statesman nor a businessman. He was more like a petulant child.

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