Here's a suggestion I read early on in the Snowden-storm that hit HN, and that I thought was reasonable: If Microsoft and Google are really united and seriousl

Here's a suggestion I read early on in the Snowden-storm that hit HN, and that I thought was reasonable: If Microsoft and Google are really united and seriously hurting, why don't they each individually (not acting as a cartel) kick the NSA out of their data centers? There may be a lawsuit, yes, and there will likely be a hit to their share value, but it's that same old problem of trading short-term safety for long-term freedoms. It's a good way for them to put the money where the mouth is. Yes, I'm aware of the "requirements" to allow monitoring equipment; I'm specifically calling for the executives of these companies to engage in civil disobedience. Politicians are famously sensitive to anything that actually gets the attention of the _masses_. Like, shutting down Google due to court-ordered monitoring and Google refusing to comply. How long would the NSA endure such a standoff before backing down with some weasel-words about "coming to an agreement"?