Google, Microsoft given high marks for data use

Yahoo, Twitter, Microsoft and other Internet giants got a perfect score for protecting users’ data from prying eyes in the government from the advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation.

The group praised nine companies that checked all six of its boxes for publishing transparency reports, fighting in courts and Congress and requiring a warrant before handing over content.  

“In the face of unbounded surveillance, users of technology need to know which companies are willing to take a stand for the privacy of their users,” the organization said in its fourth yearly “Who Has Your Back?” report.

{mosads}“We are extremely pleased to recognize the outstanding commitment each of these companies has made to their users.”

Apple, CREDO Mobile, Dropbox, Facebook, Sonic and Google were also given six stars. Image sharing app Snapchat was at the bottom of the list, fulfilling only one of the six criteria.

For the first time in the report’s four year history, every company checked at least one of the boxes.

Companies receiving high marks trumpeted their status on Thursday.

Yahoo general counsel Ron Bell said in a blog post that the company was “pleased and honored” to earn top marks in the survey.

“You trust and rely on us to deliver beautiful, personalized products that make your daily habits inspiring and entertaining,” he wrote. “In turn, we work hard to protect your information from unclear, improper, overbroad or unlawful government data requests. You can be sure that our global teams will continue to push on this front.”

Jeff Meisner, a blog editor for Microsoft, added that the Redmond, Wash.-based company’s high marks were “a reflection of the guiding principles, practices and policies that Microsoft employs on behalf of all customers.”