Twitter sues U.S. government

National security versus First Amendment rights – it's an issue front and center in a post-Edward Snowden America and one that's prompted Twitter Inc. to sue the Department of Justice.

The San Francisco-based company (NYSE: TWTR) alleges the DOJ's restrictions on what it can say publicly about the government’s national security requests for user data violate the firm’s First Amendment rights.

Twitter Vice President Ben Lee spoke with the Washington Post about the suit.

“It’s our belief that we are entitled under the First Amendment to respond to our users’ concerns and to the statements of U.S. government officials by providing information about the scope of U.S. government surveillance — including what types of legal process have not been received,” he said. “We should be free to do this in a meaningful way, rather than in broad, inexact ranges.”

Currently, tech firms are allowed to report the number of requests they receive from the government in ranges – such as 0-999. Twitter would like to disclose the exact number.

Read more from the Washington Post.