Ride the Lightning

Microsoft et al Write Open Letter to President and Congress About Surveillance

December 10, 2013

Microsoft, Apple, AOL, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Twitter, Yahoo! – All signed their names to an extraordinary ad/letter which appeared yesterday in the The Washington Post. It is a truly amazing collaborative effort which I think we should all read and take to heart – so I have set it forth below in its entirety.

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.

Sincerely,

AOL, Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo

It's a heck of a letter. Let's hope our government is listening.

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