Many of these companies did stand up to the government, but were forced into line through a secret set of courts, laws, and administrative procedures. This lea

Many of these companies did stand up to the government, but were forced into line through a secret set of courts, laws, and administrative procedures. This leaves aside all the undocumented pressures which the government has applied in order to achieve their desired objectives; we know these sorts of tactics are used because many government officials freely admit that they avoid e-mail (and it's not because they're illiterate). There is only so much that individuals can do to oppose the government, especially when the policies are popular.