>>underb+Eo
It's a tangled mess. If the companies are voluntarily cooperating, it's not as simple as calling them contractors. Look at all the covid/Biden subject matter censorship that was going on for an example. These companies invited the agencies in for reasons; they became willing tools of government censorship. There's no crime in it unless the government is coercing them. If you've interacted with the agencies, you know that coercion can be very subtle and light-touch. It can also be unofficial bargaining to the look the offer to look the other way or the threat to look intensely in one direction or another. Point is, you're rarely going to see a demand letter on the record requiring compliance outside of the warrant system (including FISA). The agencies know they can't compel private companies or state governments to do their work legally, so they work within the gray areas.