Reddit’s removal of ‘warrant canary’ could hint at US demand for its user data

Reddit has removed a notice, known as a warrant canary, from its transparency report for 2015, suggesting that it may have received a secret national security order for user data.

The removal of the warrant canary is a reminder to users that their online communications could be the target of investigators.

The most controversial of the orders is the National Security Letter, which gives the government the authority to compel the production of customer records held by telephone companies, Internet service providers and other electronic communications service providers.

Companies, who have been asked for user data by the government, are usually served the requests under a “gag order” that prohibits them from disclosing the request for data.

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