Coded email service firms hit US hurdle

Silent Circle and Lavabit cases suggest other internet-service providers gave government access to consumer data.

Two US companies that offer coded-email services to Americans have been ensnared by the controversy surrounding US communications surveillance.

One of them, Lavabit, was used by the National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Silent Circle, another company, decided to shut down its encrypted email service even though it had not been contacted by the government.

The implications of both the Silent Circle and Lavabit cases appear clear: If you are using an internet-service provider based in the US, the chances are they have almost certainly given the US government access to your data.

Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi reports from Washington, DC.

Source: Al Jazeera