Eight major technology companies have joined forces to call for tighter controls on government surveillance, issuing an open letter on Monday to President Barack Obama arguing for reforms in the way the US snoops on people.
The companies, which include Google, Facebook and Twitter, said that while they sympathize with national security concerns, recent revelations make it clear that laws should be carefully tailored to balance them against individual rights. ‘The balance in many countries has tipped too far in favor of the state and away from the rights of the individual - rights that are enshrined in our Constitution,’ the letter said. ‘This undermines the freedoms we all cherish. It’s time for a change.’ The letter follows this summer’s revelations by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked details of the secret programs that critics argue violate privacy rights. Intelligence officials argue that the NSA’s tactics have helped to disrupt terror attacks and that they’ve taken care not to routinely look at the content of conversations or messages by American citizens. But the technology companies’ campaign - aimed at governments across the globe - argues that officials should codify ‘sensible limitations on their ability to compel service providers to disclose user data’ and to ensure that law enforcement and intelligence efforts should be transparent and accountable.
The companies, which include Google, Facebook and Twitter, said that while they sympathize with national security concerns, recent revelations make it clear that laws should be carefully tailored to balance them against individual rights. ‘The balance in many countries has tipped too far in favor of the state and away from the rights of the individual - rights that are enshrined in our Constitution,’ the letter said. ‘This undermines the freedoms we all cherish. It’s time for a change.’ The letter follows this summer’s revelations by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who leaked details of the secret programs that critics argue violate privacy rights. Intelligence officials argue that the NSA’s tactics have helped to disrupt terror attacks and that they’ve taken care not to routinely look at the content of conversations or messages by American citizens. But the technology companies’ campaign - aimed at governments across the globe - argues that officials should codify ‘sensible limitations on their ability to compel service providers to disclose user data’ and to ensure that law enforcement and intelligence efforts should be transparent and accountable.