Don't forget that Apple is a multinational megacorp, and is user centric only when it suits them. Consider Tim Cook speaking at the conference used by the Chinese government to promote internet regulation, saying that the vision of the conference is one that Apple shares.
Sorry, but there are no details about how PRISM works.
The 2012 date is also suspicious - it is in the same year a new Apple datacenter in Prineville came online.
I personally think that PRISM works by externally intercepting data communication lines running to / from the unwitting companies.
The NSA has previously tapped lines (AT&T), but they made the mistake of doing it inside the AT&T building. That eventually leaked out -- so I think it is most likely that PRISM is implemented without the knowledge of anyone except the NSA.
[edit] I started doing more research. Facebook also has a datacenter right next door. I wonder who else is there and where do all the network cables go.
> Sorry, but please can you point to any real evidence that Apple allows state-level actors access? From what I can see it is exactly the opposite.
> Sorry, but there are no details about how PRISM works.
> I personally think that PRISM works by externally intercepting data communication lines running to / from the unwitting companies.
Unless you can prove you're ex-NSA or worked in SIGINT, sharing your opinion is not proof. Snowden's leaks are proof.
Why not give weight to the arguments and proof put forth by Edward Snowden? There have been no attempts by the US govt. or the NSA to disprove his leaks. No counter-evidence presented.
My question is: what do you benefit from continuing to deny and refuse to accept Snowden's whistleblowing?
I'm not ex-NSA, current NSA and I have not worked in SIGINT for any country. I cannot demonstrate proof of this.
I do not believe that the Snowden slides show proof of collusion by any of those companies. All the slides do are indicate that data is being collected from those companies and the program is called PRISM.
If for example, there was also a slide that indicated payments were being made in exchange for the data, then that would be an entirely different thing. That would indicate collusion and be more believable.
I am not denying or refusing to accept Snowden's whistleblowing. I think it is highly likely that PRISM exists. What I refute are the speculations that the companies listed are complicit.
I will also add that PRISM and "beam splitting" are a bit too close for coincidence.
Room 641A at 611 Folsom Street, SF is where "beam splitting" was done. That info leaked. The NSA isn't stupid, I doubt they wanted to repeat that sort of discovery - which is why I think it is believable and likely that the companies listed on the slides have no idea what has been done.
[edited to fix grammar and that there was more than one slide leaked]
Which unfortunately isn't mutually exclusive with granting full access to your stuff to state-level actors.
But I guess there's always a category of people who actually like the idea of big brother.