Apple Inc. (AAPL): Here is How Much Info the Gov’t Got From Us Lately…

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is one of nine tech companies that were ensnared in the recent leak of information regarding the National Security Agency’s long-running PRISM data-collection program, and like all the others in this investigation, it is determined to make sure to clear its names as a co-conspirator in this surveillance program and stating its ability to follow the law while also protecting privacy of users.

It seems that this will be an uphill battle for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and the rest to clear their names of wrongdoing when the NSA said it had been “working with” these companies in some form or another – though in what form was not specified, whether willingly or coercively. Either way, the companies are now starting to roll out their transparency reports that show the public the number of information requests received from various law-enforcement and government entities over a certain amount of time and how many accounts were requested for access.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was the latest to submit its transparency report, and it did so for the six-month time frame that ended May 31. The report indicated that Apple had received up to 5,000 requests for user or device information from various federal, state and local government entities that affected up to 10,o00 Apple accounts and/or devices during the six-month period.

The most common reasons for the requests, according Apple’s report, was for criminal investigations, missing children’s or persons reports and those who may be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.  The company also said that is defends user privacy with great passion, and sometimes will deny requests for information in their entirety – usually for requests that are deemed too broad and might affect too many users unnecessarily.

“Regardless of the circumstances, our legal team conducts an evaluation of each request and, only if appropriate, we retrieve and deliver the narrowest possible set of information to the authorities,”said Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in a statement related to the report. What are your thoughts? What does this report tell you in light of the NSA PRISM developments? Are you more or less skeptical of these companies now than a few days ago? Give us your feedback in the comments section below.

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