The issue focused on the way the federal government collects information from private-sector firms, like Facebook, that sell data to governments. The government has argued that these data should not be publicly accessible, but privacy advocates say that's not the same as requiring them.

The Supreme Court ruled last month that it should be possible to access information collected under the Patriot Act and other data-sharing programs. But privacy experts say the ruling is far too broad and does a disservice to the privacy and security of individuals online