Internet and Telecommunications Companies' Provision of Customer Information to the Government

Internet and Telecommunications Companies’ Provision of Customer Information to the Government by Gbenga Ayodeji Osinowo MBA, Kennesaw State University, 2012 MPA, University of Lagos, Nigeria, 2002 MS, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, 1998 BS, Ogun State University, Nigeria, 1995 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Administration Walden University August 2019 Abstract The strategy of the National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance program is to incorporate the private sector into the bulk data collection of customers information, yet there is little legislative and judicial oversight. As a result, internet and telecommunications companies participated, placing at risk protected privacy interests of their customers. Using policy feedback theory and narrative policy framework as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this qualitative, case study was to explore how the federal government gains compliance of the internet and telecommunications industry to engage in information sharing with NSA during post 9/11, 2001 terrorists’ attack. Secondary data were collected about internet and telecommunications companies through document analysis, corporate records, and credible news sources. These data were compiled as raw data and developed into codes, which led to categories and eventually developed into themes. Findings indicate that private companies participated for three main reasons: first, an interest in preserving national security, second, they believed they had limited or no liability, and third, profit-making. At the same time, the participants expressed concerns that the government gained compliance via the use of coercion, influence, and persuasion. The positive social change implication of this study includes recommendations to public policy practitioners/evaluators that it is necessary to include private sector analysis in a comprehensive review of public policy because interdependencies of the private-public sector guarantees effective public policy implementation/ assessment.The strategy of the National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance program is to incorporate the private sector into the bulk data collection of customers information, yet there is little legislative and judicial oversight. As a result, internet and telecommunications companies participated, placing at risk protected privacy interests of their customers. Using policy feedback theory and narrative policy framework as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this qualitative, case study was to explore how the federal government gains compliance of the internet and telecommunications industry to engage in information sharing with NSA during post 9/11, 2001 terrorists’ attack. Secondary data were collected about internet and telecommunications companies through document analysis, corporate records, and credible news sources. These data were compiled as raw data and developed into codes, which led to categories and eventually developed into themes. Findings indicate that private companies participated for three main reasons: first, an interest in preserving national security, second, they believed they had limited or no liability, and third, profit-making. At the same time, the participants expressed concerns that the government gained compliance via the use of coercion, influence, and persuasion. The positive social change implication of this study includes recommendations to public policy practitioners/evaluators that it is necessary to include private sector analysis in a comprehensive review of public policy because interdependencies of the private-public sector guarantees effective public policy implementation/ assessment. Internet and Telecommunications Companies’ Provision of Customer Information to the Government by Gbenga Ayodeji Osinowo MBA, Kennesaw State University, 2012 MPA, University of Lagos, Nigeria, 2002 MS, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, 1998 BS, Ogun State University, Nigeria, 1995 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Administration Walden University August 2019 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my late parents, Prince Emmanuel Oyedeji Osinowo and Caroline Omotayo Osinowo. I know that you are both smiling in heaven to see the academic excellence your little son has achieved. Acknowledgments My profound gratitude goes to my family for their understanding during my academic quest. I want to thank my wife, Ibironke Olabisi Osinowo, for her understanding of my divided attention during the project and for serving as an occasional proofreader. I want to thank my daughter, Aderinsola Osinowo, and my son, Bernard Osinowo, for their understanding of my divided attention to their needs while I was concentrating on my studies. I want to acknowledge the late Dr. Ian Birdsall who untimely passed away during my academic journey. I want to thank Dr. George Larkin who gladly steered the direction of the research to completion, and I also want to thank Dr. Gregory Campbell for his intellectual inputs to the success of the research. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Michael Brewer for accepting to be part of this project without any hesitations and for his eagerness to see the findings of the research.