What does it mean if a government agency has direct access to a site's servers?

Just curious. What kind of information can an agency legally obtain from direct server access?

 

Nevermind. I think I have the answer to this question. With direct access, an intelligency agency (i.e. the FBI) gets direct access to all of the information on the web site's servers. So an intelligency agency that has direct access to Facebook's servers can access and monitor any of the information you post on Facebook, without a subpoena or warrant.

Is this correct?

 

Yes it's correct. But they need a warrant in the FBI's case if it's domestic USA, NSA does not need one as far as I can tell if the server is on foreign soil.

 

This warrant system has been shown to have secret court oversight with highly one sided bias and no concern for average American citizen. I wouldn't even call it a warrant.

Actually that's incorrect. NSA needs a warrant if the server is on foreign soil. As a matter of fact that's one of the reason why I am paying for an email that has servers based in Norway so that NSA is required to have a warrant which will be reviewed by a non-American court.