Broad Coalition of Companies and Nonprofits Support USA FREEDOM Act

POGO joins a large group of nonprofit organizations, companies, trade organizations, and investors to urge Congress to act on surveillance reform. The group specifically supports reforms included in the USA FREEDOM Act.

November 21, 2013

By POGO Staff

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Majority Leader Harry Reid

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

United States Senate

Chairman Patrick Leahy

Ranking Member Charles Grassley

Committee on the Judiciary

United States Senate

Speaker John Boehner

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

United States House of Representatives

Chairman Bob Goodlatte

Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr.

Committee on the Judiciary

United States House of Representatives

Chairman Diane Feinstein

Vice Chairman Saxby Chambliss

Senate Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

United States Senate

Chairman Mike Rogers

Ranking Member Dutch Ruppersberger

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

United States House of Representatives

November 21, 2013

We the undersigned civil society groups, trade associations, companies and investors are supporters of the free and open Internet. We are writing to urge that intelligence surveillance practices be reformed by limiting the scope of surveillance and by substantially enhancing the privacy protections, oversight, and accountability mechanisms that govern that surveillance.

Recent disclosures regarding intelligence surveillance activity raise important concerns about the privacy and security of communications. This surveillance has already eroded trust that is essential to the free flow of information and to the exercise of human rights and civil liberties both in the United States and around the world.

To rebuild trust, we urge that the U.S. government act expeditiously to:

allow companies to be much more transparent about the number and type of surveillance demands they receive;
be much more transparent itself about the surveillance demands it makes, the surveillance activities in which it engages, and the legal bases for both;
focus intelligence collection on terrorists, spies and other agents of foreign powers, rather than on everyone else; and
ensure that its surveillance practices honor both Constitutional and human rights.

Toward this end, we welcome introduction in the House and Senate of the USA FREEDOM Act legislation which promotes these goals. We oppose legislation that codifies sweeping bulk collection activities. We look forward to working with you on the USA FREEDOM Act and other legislation designed to protect the privacy of Internet users while permitting appropriately targeted intelligence surveillance necessary to protect against terrorism.

Signed by: