WordPress.com Makes SSL Enabled By Default

Big Tech Calls On Senate To Stop NSA's Bulk Surveillance Program

from the speak-out dept

Thu, Jun 5th 2014 7:06pm — Mike Masnick

In honor of the Reset the Net campaign, and the one-year anniversary of the first Ed Snowden revelation, a bunch of big tech companies, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, Apple, DropBox, LinkedIn, Yahoo and AOL, have published an open letter to the Senate asking it to pass real surveillance reform, rather than the weak sauce that the House passed in its massively watered-down USA Freedom Act. At the same time, a lobbyist representing a group of big tech companies specifically warned the Senate that the House version was too weak and needed to be much stronger. This is a good first step, but we need to see the pressure on the Senate ramp up even more.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: nsa, reset the net, senate, surveillance, usa freedom act
Companies: aol, apple, dropbox, facebook, google, linkedin, microsoft, twitter, yahoo

13 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Pixelation, 5 Jun 2014 @ 7:12pm

A good first step
Our government is out of control. Time to rein them in.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 7:20pm

Since the government is no longer listening to the voters, it will have to be the big Tech companies that force the change. Come voting time you may hear a few candidates mention it but most will want to avoid any mention for pulling in the spy apparatus.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
PacW097, 5 Jun 2014 @ 7:48pm

It's not government, it's some elected reps
Instead of saying Government is out of control, I prefer to name names and say that many public representatives elected to office are misrepresenting our government. I'm not against government, just bad actors in office.

While this tech company pressure campaign is underway, it would benefit players to put pressure on specific representatives, time for public shaming and new representation.

If the tech lobbies are sincere, I for one would expect their campaign donations to reflect the real problem and donate to those willing to be servants to the public not the same players who got us to where we are today.

Out with the bad air, the loud air, those that feel their above reproach and not of the people. Time to elect some actual leaders.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 9:24pm

Bit surprised at this. Must have been some way to make the person that approved it anonymous.

My supposition is that the people we elected are not the stupid NSA lemmings we think they are.

My supposition is that those people have been compromised by the NSA. IOW we all have skeletons in our closets, and the NSA knows all about them. Support us or else...

These people are probably also assisted by the NSA to be re-elected.

I know, paranoid... But it actually explains some rather odd behavior.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 5 Jun 2014 @ 9:45pm

Re:
I have suspected that as well. If this was true and it was exposed wouldn't it technically call for the execution of every intelligence leader involved? Since I'm pretty sure a coup d��tat counts as levying war against.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 6 Jun 2014 @ 3:33am

Re:
I don't think you are paranoid enough. The only thing that explains this behavior is that the NSA "pwned" key members of congress through - wait for it - because they have the dirt on them.

It's total corruption of the republic...

***
A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, �Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?� With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, �A republic, if you can keep it.�
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 6 Jun 2014 @ 3:33am

Re:
I don't think you are paranoid enough. The only thing that explains this behavior is that the NSA "pwned" key members of congress through - wait for it - because they have the dirt on them.

It's total corruption of the republic...

***
A Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, �Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?� With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, �A republic, if you can keep it.�
[ link to this | view in thread ]
avideogameplayer, 6 Jun 2014 @ 4:48am

It takes two to tangle...so it's hard to believe that these tech companies really care about reform when half of them don't even try and fight requests from the NSA...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 6 Jun 2014 @ 5:30am

Two Observations Here
Let's stop trying to reform these broken laws and take a page from Rush Holt. Repeal it all and then add the requirement that any data requests by the gov require. probable. cause

And while I'm happy that tech companies are joining the fight now, I'm also partially saddened by the fact that it might just take their large...financial influence to get anything done. Thus continuing the trend of how any large monied interest exerts influence rather than just the people...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The Wanderer (profile), 6 Jun 2014 @ 5:50am

Re: It's not government, it's some elected reps
It's not just certain elected officials. It's also a lot of the appointed, or even just hired, government officials, agents, and/or functionaries... who very likely far outnumber the problematic elected officials.

Putting pressure on the specific elected officials (in terms of getting them out of office, not of convincing them to change their minds, since there's no real chance of success at the latter) is still probably the best way of getting something done about this overall. But there's room for concern that doing that alone may well not be enough, against the entrenched and non-elected bureaucracy.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 6 Jun 2014 @ 9:24am

They wont listen unless theres consequences, i wont take these atempts seriously......unless theres, yep you guessed it, .....say it with me, con-se-quences
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Anonymous Coward, 6 Jun 2014 @ 9:29am

Wouldnt it be ironic if these companies could identify ALL employees of government and block them from their services........how would these employes feel about that?! probably the same way as folks who hear about their surveilance "antics"........now thats a statement.......maybe then we can agree that theres certain things you just dont do, maybe they'll come to realise what it is you dont do.........nahhhhhhhh
[ link to this | view in thread ]
That One Guy (profile), 6 Jun 2014 @ 1:31pm

Re:
Perhaps, but always keep in mind those 'magic NSL's', how many of them 'didn't fight requests' because they couldn't?

Not to say they're all squeaky clean, but when the government has, and has shown no hesitation in using, something that can compel both 'cooperation' and silence, the appearance of not fighting back isn't always a reflection of a lack of desire to do so.
[ link to this | view in thread ]