Eight of the world's giant tech companies have published a full-page letter and website against the U.S. government's surveillance program.
AOL, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter, and Yahoo! have signed a letter for the U.S. and the world's governments to address the policies of accessing an individual's information.
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The companies are not seeking the removal of such surveillance programs but rather a reform of the current laws and practices. The companies understand such practices have been implemented to "protect their citizens' safety and security" but they argue transparency and oversight are needed.
Five principles were listed by the companies, including, limiting governments' authority to collect users' information, oversight and accountability, transparency about government demands, respecting the free flow of information, and avoiding conflicts among governments.
"People won't use technology they don't trust," said Microsoft's General Counsel and Executive Vice President for Legal and Corporate Affairs Brad Smith, according to RefromGovernmentSurveillance.com. "Governments have put this trust at risk, and governments need to help restore it."
"Reports about government surveillance have shown there is a real need for greater disclosure and new limits on how governments collect information," noted Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. "The U.S. government should take this opportunity to lead this reform effort and make things right."
The open letter was published specifically for President Barack Obama and members of Congress on Dec. 9.
The letter read:
Dear Mr. President and Members of Congress,
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 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. This undermines the freedoms we all cherish. It's time for a change.
For our part, we are focused on keeping users' data secure - deploying the latest encryption technology to prevent unauthorized surveillance on our networks and by pushing back on government requests to ensure that they are legal and reasonable in scope.
We urge the US 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. To see the full set of principles we support, visit ReformGovernmentSurveillance.com
The White House has not issued a comment regarding the open letter.
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