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Comment by jordanthoms | Hacker News Reader

So what happens if you tell them to go away anyway? They take you to court? Raid your datacenter? Good luck getting public support for that. Seems the problem with these secret orders is, you can't actually _enforce_ them without making them public, you can just make threatening gestures.

I'm dissapointed no tech company has decided to play hardball on this...

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Wouldn't defying the court order mean you are breaking the law? I wonder what that would mean in terms of fines and possible legal implications for the directors?

I am sure the Government would say that the company is with holding data essential to counter-terrorism. With a bit of Government spin I don't see how the tech company could come off positively from making such a stand.

I hate the counter-terrorism card being played so often to get free pass with no consequence at all, usually not involving terrorism in retrospective.

Counter-terrorism is the new terror.

You and I both, but the problem is convincing the rest of America.

They would accuse you of 'supporting terrorism' and 'aiding the enemy' - both of which can come with lengthy jail terms.

Pretty sure that no matter how outraged you or I might be by this, the person in the street would believe the spin: 'I can't believe company X really wants to support terrorists by keeping information from those that are trying to make this country safe'.

Look at the lack of outrage at the treatment of Manning (or god forbid the inhabitants of Guantanamo Bay - most held without charge with no hope of a trial, simply still held because no (friendly) country will take them - and you know we can't have them going home now can we...)

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