>Tell users about government data requests. To earn a star in this category, Internet companies must promise to tell users when the government seeks their data unless prohibited by law, in very narrow and defined emergency situations,[2] or unless doing so would be futile or ineffective.[3]
Those caveats make this a meaningless category, particularly the first one. Nearly all the data requests that people are concerned about have been coming with gag orders attached. Not to mention, how can the EFF even verify this? One assumes the criteria are assessed by the companies' policies, not by their actions, and that's clearly meaningless if the government is essentially compelling them to lie, keep silent or "massage the truth".
Those caveats make this a meaningless category, particularly the first one. Nearly all the data requests that people are concerned about have been coming with gag orders attached. Not to mention, how can the EFF even verify this? One assumes the criteria are assessed by the companies' policies, not by their actions, and that's clearly meaningless if the government is essentially compelling them to lie, keep silent or "massage the truth".