A letter signed by more than 30 major technology companies has been sent to the House Judiciary Committee calling for a number of key changes to be made to NSA surveillance. The letter, signed by the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Google and Mozilla, asks lawmakers…
A letter signed by more than 30 major technology companies has been sent to the House Judiciary Committee calling for a number of key changes to be made to NSA surveillance. The letter, signed by the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Google and Mozilla, asks lawmakers to make a number of considerations when reforming Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act.
The signatories refer to themselves as «U. S.-based companies that provide consumer and business technology, products, and services around the world through the use of electronic data.» Their letter is timed to coincide with debate about the reform of Section 702 which is used to justify NSA surveillance programs, and is due to expire at the end of the year. There are calls for increased transparency and controls, as well as the suggestion that surveillance should be reined in.
Central to the letter’s demands are that there should be greater consideration given to the privacy of individuals who may find that their personal information is scooped up in dragnet surveillance. Lawmakers are under no obligation to take any notice of the suggestions made in the letter, but in publicly sharing a set of requests signed by so many big names, there will be pressure for the recommendations to be considered.
The letter makes five requests of lawmakers:
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