The top technology companies in the United States are at war with their own government over the National Security Administration’s blanket electronic surveillance practices.

On Monday, Business Insider published an article based on a Der Spiegel report that said the NSA is able to put spyware on every product manufactured by Apple — including just about every communication sent on an Apple iPhone. The Spiegel article, which was also picked up by the Daily Dot, was based on documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

At the time Snowden obtained the documents —  they started leaking in June – the NSA required physical access to install the spyware (by hijacking an item for delivery that was purchased online),  but its laboratory spooks were working on remote access, according to the Daily Dot.

Apple did not receive the news about the NSA program called DROPOUTJEEP calmly. On Tuesday, it used a statement to liken the government intelligence workers to “malicious hackers” and vowing to fight on behalf of its customers.

We will continue to use our resources to stay ahead of malicious hackers and defend our customers from security attacks, regardless of who’s behind them.”

And Apple isn’t alone.

In a statement in early December, Microsoft put government hacking at the top of its list of perceived threats.

… [G]overnment snooping potentially now constitutes an ‘advanced persistent threat,’ alongside sophisticated malware and cyber attacks.

We all want to live in a world that is safe and secure, but we also want to live in a country that is protected by the Constitution.

Protected by the Constitution?

Those Silicon Valley hipsters are going to sound like tea party groups soon.

Then they’ll be at war with the IRS, too.

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Joe Saunders

Joe Saunders, a 25-year newspaper veteran, is a staff writer and editor for BizPac Review who lives in Tallahassee and covers capital and Florida politics. Email Joe at [email protected].

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