Cloudflare’s Transparency Report for Second Half 2016 and an Additional Disclosure for 2013

On January 10, 2017, Cloudflare published its seventh transparency report covering the second half of 2016. For the first time, they were able to present information on a previously undisclosed National Security Letter (NSL) received in 2013. An NSL is an administrative subpoena issued by the U.S. federal government for national security purposes without prior judicial approval. Typically, it contains a nondisclosure requirement preventing the recipient from disclosing that the FBI requested information. In this case, Cloudflare objected to the NSL and sought legal assistance from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. The FBI rescinded the NSL in July 2013 but kept the gag order until recently. With the removal of the gag order, Cloudflare can now share more accurate transparency reports with its customers and constituents, allowing for a more informed public policy debate on matters related to electronic communications and national security.