This time, it's personal: Government spying hits Google where it hurts

Silicon Valley's reaction to Edward Snowden and his leaks about government surveillance has taken on an indignant tone that was previously missing. All it took for the worm to turn was for the snooping to get personal.

After this summer's revelations, Microsoft, Google, and the rest issued tepid calls for "greater transparency" -- basically asking for the right to report the number of information requests made by government agencies. But now the tables have turned, and the latest leaks reveal that tech companies themselves have been spied on, their networks tapped without their knowledge or cooperation. Cue the outrage.

Google security employee Brandon Downey took to the blogosphere this week to express his displeasure at news that the NSA and British intelligence GCHQ had broken into Google's systems. Professional pride seems to have played a part in his protest:

I've spent the last ten years of my life trying to keep Google's users safe and secure from the many diverse threats Google faces....