Technology leaders have joined hands with investors, non-profit and trade organizations demanding greater transparency from the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).
Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo and 57 other tech companies, investing firms, non-profit organizations and trade businesses have formed an alliance demanding greater transparency from the U.S. government in its surveillance programs.
AllThingsD obtained a copy of the letter signed by 63 companies that will be published Thursday, appealing to President Barack Obama and the Congress seeking to be allowed to reveal the number of national security requests they receive to reveal information about their subscribers and their accounts.
The union also seeks a similar transparency report from the government that will provide information about the total number of information requests made and the number of individuals affected.
The companies that have formed the alliance said that they are often subjected to FISA warrants to reveal user information. Now these companies are demanding greater transparency about the requests for information that they get.
"Basic information about how the government uses its various law enforcement-related investigative authorities has been published for years without any apparent disruption to criminal investigations," a copy of the letter obtained by AllThingsD reads. "We seek permission for the same information to be made available regarding the government's national security-related authorities. This information about how and how often the government is using these legal authorities is important to the American people, who are entitled to have an informed public debate about the appropriateness of those authorities and their use."
According to AllThingsD, the letter signed by several high profile tech companies, civil liberties groups, trade groups, and venture capitalists around the globe include AOL, Apple, Digg, Dropbox, Evoca, Facebook, Google, Heyzap, LinkedIn, Meetup, Microsoft, Mozilla, Reddit, salesforce.com, Tumblr, Twitter, Yahoo, YouNow, Union Square Ventures, Y Combinator, New Atlantic Ventures, The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Human Rights Watch, The American Civil Liberties Union, The Center for Democracy & Technology, Reporters Committee for Freedom of The Press, Public Knowledge, The Computer & Communications Industry Association, Reporters Without Borders, and The Wikimedia Foundation.