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Joke or Protection of Privacy - Tech giants puts pressure
on US Gov. to protect privacy of the individual in public interest.
Open Letter to President Obama and the US Congress -
Updated: Mon, 09 Dec 2013 21:15:00 GMT | By IANS
US tech giants campaign against government snooping
Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, LinkedIn and AOL issued an open letter to President Barack Obama calling for reforms and restrictions on government surveillance.
Washington: Overcoming their rivalries, eight US tech giants have joined hands to launch a public campaign asking the Obama administration and the US Congress to put a check on government surveillance through internet. All together, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, LinkedIn and AOL issued an open letter to President Barack Obama and members of the US Congress calling for reforms and restrictions on government surveillance.
The heads of the eight companies including Google's Larry Page, Yahoo's Marissa Mayer and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg endorsed the campaign.
"While the undersigned companies understand that governments need to take action to protect their citizens' safety and security, we strongly believe that current laws and practices need to be reformed," the CEOs said. Arguing that surveillance has gone too far, the companies said they are improving encryption and fighting to limit surveillance requests besides asking for new legal changes to limit surveillance.
"The balance in many countries has tipped too far in favour of the state and away from the rights of the individual - rights that are enshrined in our Constitution. This undermines the freedoms we all cherish. It's time for change," the CEOs wrote.
http://news.in.msn.com/national/us-t...nment-snooping
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The US Gov. and other governments have the ability to tap into the vast reservoirs of data mined by the tech giants.
It is that access to that vast set of reservoirs of data that the tech giants are railing against...but the irony is; how do these various tech companies acquire their reservoirs of data? Do they snoop around to get that info...do they ask and receive permission to mine that data in manner that is exactly what they call for:
- within legal confines;
- in open and transparent manner;
- and once collected not used in any manner that protects 'the individual's personal freedom';
- surveillance has gone too far, the companies said they are improving encryption and fighting to limit surveillance requests besides asking for new legal changes to limit surveillance.
- Do these tech giants ensure that "The balance in many tech companies have not tipped too far in favour of the companies and away from the rights of the individual - rights that are enshrined in our Constitution. ...and that this does not undermine the freedoms we all cherish"?
Are these tech companies just walking in the footsteps of the politicians and as do the politicians are laughing at us...*the poor citizens who all have our thought processes clouded by emotion and thus cannot see 'the forest from the trees'?
In this age of ever increasing use of the citizen's detailed behavior patterns to on one hand provide ever increasing protection from harm and on the other cater to ever increasing (comfort) needs how exactly do they propose to provide that "freedom we all cherish"?
Aside: "Freedom we all cherish" - Real or Myth?
Complete safety v provision of none of the information needed to provide that "complete safety"?
Satisfaction of wants and needs v provision of none of the information needed to make that possible?
*In Jamaica we would say that the companies "put dem pot pan fiyah" on our 'our thought processes (being) clouded by emotion and thus (such that we) cannot see 'the forest from the trees'?"
Open Letter to President Obama and the US Congress -
Updated: Mon, 09 Dec 2013 21:15:00 GMT | By IANS
US tech giants campaign against government snooping
Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, LinkedIn and AOL issued an open letter to President Barack Obama calling for reforms and restrictions on government surveillance.
Washington: Overcoming their rivalries, eight US tech giants have joined hands to launch a public campaign asking the Obama administration and the US Congress to put a check on government surveillance through internet. All together, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, LinkedIn and AOL issued an open letter to President Barack Obama and members of the US Congress calling for reforms and restrictions on government surveillance.
The heads of the eight companies including Google's Larry Page, Yahoo's Marissa Mayer and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg endorsed the campaign.
"While the undersigned companies understand that governments need to take action to protect their citizens' safety and security, we strongly believe that current laws and practices need to be reformed," the CEOs said. Arguing that surveillance has gone too far, the companies said they are improving encryption and fighting to limit surveillance requests besides asking for new legal changes to limit surveillance.
"The balance in many countries has tipped too far in favour of the state and away from the rights of the individual - rights that are enshrined in our Constitution. This undermines the freedoms we all cherish. It's time for change," the CEOs wrote.
http://news.in.msn.com/national/us-t...nment-snooping
----
The US Gov. and other governments have the ability to tap into the vast reservoirs of data mined by the tech giants.
It is that access to that vast set of reservoirs of data that the tech giants are railing against...but the irony is; how do these various tech companies acquire their reservoirs of data? Do they snoop around to get that info...do they ask and receive permission to mine that data in manner that is exactly what they call for:
- within legal confines;
- in open and transparent manner;
- and once collected not used in any manner that protects 'the individual's personal freedom';
- surveillance has gone too far, the companies said they are improving encryption and fighting to limit surveillance requests besides asking for new legal changes to limit surveillance.
- Do these tech giants ensure that "The balance in many tech companies have not tipped too far in favour of the companies and away from the rights of the individual - rights that are enshrined in our Constitution. ...and that this does not undermine the freedoms we all cherish"?
Are these tech companies just walking in the footsteps of the politicians and as do the politicians are laughing at us...*the poor citizens who all have our thought processes clouded by emotion and thus cannot see 'the forest from the trees'?
In this age of ever increasing use of the citizen's detailed behavior patterns to on one hand provide ever increasing protection from harm and on the other cater to ever increasing (comfort) needs how exactly do they propose to provide that "freedom we all cherish"?
Aside: "Freedom we all cherish" - Real or Myth?
Complete safety v provision of none of the information needed to provide that "complete safety"?
Satisfaction of wants and needs v provision of none of the information needed to make that possible?
*In Jamaica we would say that the companies "put dem pot pan fiyah" on our 'our thought processes (being) clouded by emotion and thus (such that we) cannot see 'the forest from the trees'?"