The tech companies' sudden, overt concern about transparency in government surveillance may be as much about protecting themselves as consumers.

The use of government contractors involved in surveillance work has grown tremendously since 9/11. How big is this business?

Do you care if the government knows who you're talking to on Facebook and when? Whom you're emailing? If so, why? If not, why not?

The government began using the so-called “Hadoop” software for data collection, even after launching a $16 billion project to come up with its own way to manage 'big data.'