NSA might tap every single bit of communication worldwide but getting structured data for users of specific interest directly from Google etc. is still much easier.
There just simply is no tie-in between google checkout and PRISM as the article alleges as far as I can see.
On top of that google take-out is just google but a lot of other companies are listed as well. So, all things taken into account the two most likely have nothing to do with each other.
Rachelbythebay does not let any chance go by to diss her former employer and that's fine by me as long as it is based in fact, not in speculation. If she knows for a fact that this is the case that would change things considerably but from where I'm sitting this looks like speculation to me.
And just because systems like PRISM are in use, doesn't render data export for specific users useless:
PRISM might for example identify some users of specific interest. As a result, NSA might access all Google data in relation to this user in structured form. Legal interception ports in hardware and software have been known for years, they are mandatory in many countries. And while live surveillance can be important too, most results are gathered from structured user data and meta data. And in any case, why should the same work be done twice? Why should NSA do work that has already been done by Google etc.?
Google takeout most likely has nothing whatsoever to do with PRISM or any other NSA programme, why go through a clunky one-user-at-a-time batch process when you can be comfortably sitting right where the action is, where updates are incremental and where information is available when it happens instead of when you ask for it.
Push over pull any day for the NSA and the likes.