Technology companies including Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Google Inc. (GOOG) called on the U.S. government to reform surveillance practices after revelations the National Security Agency gained access to private networks to conduct spying.
“We understand that governments have a duty to protect their citizens. But this summer’s revelations highlighted the urgent need to reform government surveillance practices worldwide,” the companies wrote in a statement today. “The balance in many countries has tipped too far in favor of the state and away from the rights of the individual.”
Documents released by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden show that the agency gained access to the customer accounts of technology companies, circumvented encryption, and tapped fiber-optic cables as part of its surveillance programs, according to reports in the Washington Post, the New York Times and Guardian newspaper. The companies have responded by boosting encryption and pushing back on government requests for information.
“We urge the U.S. to take the lead and make reforms that ensure that government surveillance efforts are clearly restricted by law, proportionate to the risks, transparent and subject to independent oversight,” the companies said in the statement, which was addressed to President Barack Obama and members of Congress.
Signatories to the statement are AOL Inc. (AOL), Apple, Google, LinkedIn Corp. (LNKD), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Twitter Inc. (TWTR) and Yahoo! Inc.
Obama plans to propose curbs on the NSA to guard against unwarranted snooping, he said in an interview broadcast on MSNBC last week.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tim Culpan in Taipei at tculpan1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at mtighe4@bloomberg.net
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