In a startling revelation, major technology companies have dramatically increased their data sharing with US authorities over the past decade, effectively turning private digital lives into an open book for government scrutiny.
A new analysis by Proton shows that Google, Apple, and Meta have handed over data from 3.1 million user accounts to US authorities between 2014 and 2024. The shared information includes emails, files, messages, and other personal data.
The scale of increase is staggering: Meta's data sharing jumped 675%, Google's rose 530%, and Apple's grew 632%. For perspective, in just one year (2023-2024), US officials made nearly 500,000 data requests to Google and Meta alone - surpassing the combined requests from all other members of the Fourteen Eyes surveillance alliance.
"In the past, the government needed complex surveillance systems. Now, they just need to message Big Tech in California," said Raphael Auphan, Proton's chief operating officer.
The depth of collected information is remarkable. When a journalist from The Times requested her Meta data, she received 20,000 pages, including interactions with websites and apps not directly linked to her Meta accounts.
The situation stems from Big Tech's advertising-based business model, which requires extensive data collection. Companies cannot implement comprehensive privacy protections like end-to-end encryption without undermining their revenue streams.
What makes this more concerning is the rise in Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) requests, which companies legally cannot refuse. These requests, issued by secretive courts with minimal oversight, have increased by 2,171% for Meta and 594% for Google during the same period.
The pattern of increased data sharing has remained consistent regardless of political leadership, suggesting a systematic expansion of digital surveillance capabilities through private sector partnerships.
As long as major tech companies maintain their current business models, they will continue collecting vast amounts of personal data - data that remains accessible to government agencies through simple requests.