Apple, Google and Microsoft want Obama to change surveillance policy
Eight large technology companies, among which are Apple, Google and Microsoft, today called on U.S. President Barack Obama and Congress, a change in its policy of digital surveillance to be " proportionate to the risks, transparent and subject to independent oversight. "
This was expressed in a joint letter released on the net and signed by Apple, Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo and AOL, following the leak last June that made the CIA exanalista Edward Snowden, who revealed the existence of U.S. secret program to collect phone and digital data of citizens.
"It's time to change," they say in the letter, which also highlight the revelations of this summer, " stressed the urgent need to reform the surveillance practices of governments around the world."
"The balance in many countries has gone too far in favor of the State and has been separated from the rights of individuals, rights that are enshrined in our Constitution. This weakens the freedoms that we all love," they add.
Also explain that the signers try to protect user information with " latest encryption technology to prevent unauthorized monitoring" hindering government requests to prove they are " legal and reasonable."
Therefore, " urgency " to the United States to lead and make reforms to ensure that monitoring efforts are "clearly restricted by law."
Along with the letter, seven of the signatories (all except Apple ) have launched a website ( reformgovernmentsurveillance.com ) to extend these claims to governments worldwide.
In this regard, demanding that the government authority is limited to collect information from users, to account for it, demands that governments are transparent, that the free flow of information is respected and avoid conflicts between governments.
" These principles would reform the current system to adequately balance the needs of security and privacy, while safeguarded the fundamental right to freedom of expression," says the CEO of Twitter, d**k Costolo.
For Google CEO Larry Page, " the security of user information is essential, which is why we have invested so much in encryption and fought for inquiries from governments are transparent."
" The apparent data collection on a large scale, in secret and without independent oversight of many governments around the world undermines the safety of users " Page incident.
"The information on government spying have shown that there is a real need for greater disclosure of how the government collects information and have new limits," said Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and founder of Facebook.
The executive vice president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, said, " people will not use a technology that is not reliable. Governments have confidence in this risk and should help to restore it."
Tags: Apple, Change, Google, microsoft, Obama, policy, Surveillance