A new report suggests that the aggressive surveillance activities conducted by the National Security Agency (NSA) may cause U.S. information technology companies about $35 billion revenue loss.
Aside from the revenue loss, NSA's surveillance activities brought angst to netizens around the globe which could cause setback in the U.S. efforts in promoting Internet freedom. The setbacks could eventually cause damages on technology companies like Apple Inc. and Google Inc., which greatly depend on global networks with hardly any cyber restrictions. The revenue loss computation was presented by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, an organization that focuses on public policies and technology innovation.
Rebecca MacKinnon, a senior fellow at the Washington policy group New American Foundation, told Bloomberg Businessweek , "The potential fallout is pretty huge given how much our economy depends on the information economy for its growth. It's increasingly where the U.S. advantage lies."
Given that we live in an era where technology is really at its peak, it's no secret that majority of people worldwide go online every day, if not every minute of every day. As reports about the leaked NSA secret files circulate in the news, many think twice before surfing the net, sending e-mails, or even entering their passwords.
In the long run it could pose great damage not just to smartphone companies, but to other technology companies like Hewlett Packard, IBM, and Cisco, as well.
Cisco Systems Inc., the world's largest maker of computer-networking equipment, told Bloomberg this month that the NSA leaks caused customers uncertainty when it comes to purchasing computers.
In a U.S. Senate panel on Nov. 13, Richard Salgado, director of Google's law enforcement and information security, said that the NSA surveillance activities leaked by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden have "great potential for doing serious damage to the competitiveness. The trust that's threatened is essential to these businesses."
